Is it possible to play Hogwarts Legacy together with other people? Read on and find out the possibilities.
Hogwarts Legacy is a 2023 action role-playing game that takes place in the popular Harry Potter universe and serves as a self-contained prequel to the novel series, approximately a hundred years before the events from the books.
Although the game is not considered canon to the original novels by J. K. Rowling, it’s still an experience you wouldn’t want to miss; being able to explore Hogwarts as it’s brought to life before your very own eyes and filled to the brim with magic is enough of a reason to at least give the game a try.
Some of you may naturally be interested in knowing if there’s any multiplayer mode available in Hogwarts Legacy. Being able to play with other people adds a whole new dimension to the gameplay and can significantly extend the game’s longevity and replayability, often leading to some hilarious scenarios.
Hogwarts Legacy seems like a perfect candidate for a multiplayer game for small parties or 2 player co-op. So, is Hogwarts Legacy multiplayer a thing or not?
Developer’s Stand on Multiplayer Mode
At the moment, Hogwarts Legacy in its vanilla form does not contain any kind of multiplayer, which means no online nor local multiplayer modes are present in the game as of now. This is clearly stated on the official Hogwarts Legacy FAQ page, where we can read: “Hogwarts Legacy is a single-player experience and does not have online or co-op gameplay.”
The game remains a purely single-player adventure focused on giving the fans of the Harry Potter universe a unique opportunity to explore it, discover its mysteries, and enjoy a brand-new story in a fantasy setting full of wizardry and all kinds of magic phenomena.
However, the aforementioned FAQ page does not contain any information related to the future plans to introduce multiplayer modes. As such, there’s still a glimmer of hope that one day we may get officially supported online play with exciting duels of skill, wits, and magic.
After all, it’s not uncommon to see new features being added to video games long after their original release in the form of a new paid or free DLC. Don’t get your hopes too high, though.
Community’s Response and Speculation
The community seems to be divided when it comes to multiplayer in Hogwarts Legacy. Some would love to see it happen and straight up refuse to buy the game until some form of multiplayer is introduced, while others argue that multiplayer would negatively impact the entire experience and take away from the immersion.
No matter which side of the barricade you’re on, it’s worth remembering that adding a multiplayer mode for a game long after its initial launch is not outside the realm of possibility. It happened a number of times in the past and it will most likely keep happening in the future.
A notable example here would be No Man’s Sky, where the game started with barely any multiplayer at all, but dramatically expanded its multiplayer features with each next expansion.
Fan-Led Initiatives: Modding the Game
Even though Hogwarts Legacy doesn’t have any officially supported multiplayer mode, there’s still a workaround you could try to bring the missing functionalities to the game.
Those who are unsatisfied with the lack of multiplayer in the vanilla version of Hogwarts Legacy can try manually modding the game. Using mods to add multiplayer to an otherwise single-player title already happened with a multitude of titles in the past, including Sekiro, Skyrim, and Subnautica, to name just a few examples.
The same seems to apply to Hogwarts Legacy; the modding community quickly responded to the needs of players and delivered a working multiplayer mod you can try to start playing together with your friends.
The most popular multiplayer Hogwarts Legacy mod is distributed under the name HogWarp and it provides basic multiplayer functionalities. The mod is still being worked on, so you can probably expect various improvements, new features, and better stability in the future.
Companion Aspects and Other Multiplayer Alternatives
Not having any form of official multiplayer feels like a missed opportunity in a game that puts emphasis on making friends and overcoming challenges together. There is even a built-in relationship system that allows players to get closer to various NPCs, although no romance options exist. As such, it’s only natural that players feel like there’s something missing in the game, and that something is the multiplayer mode.
If playing a modded game is not exactly what you’re looking for and you’d prefer to wait for an official multiplayer mode instead, it’s worth mentioning LEGO Harry Potter games as a solid alternative you can play in the meantime.
LEGO games usually come with offline split-screen co-op mode and it’s all the same in LEGO Harry Potter, allowing you to share the experience with others. Add to that a lighthearted atmosphere with humorous dialogues, and you get a perfect party title to play during long winter evenings.
Conclusion
As Hogwarts Legacy doesn’t have any kind of multiplayer mode on its own, flashy and exciting wizardry duels remain out of reach. However, there is still hope for things to change.
You can either wait for an official multiplayer DLC that could be released in the future, try modding the game to add multiplayer features manually, or play a similar game that comes with some form of built-in multiplayer, such as LEGO games.