Wizard101’s history dates back to 2008 and is quite storied in terms of development, platforms it’s been available on, and re-releases in the decades since, and it was finally released on consoles in October last year. As a theoretical emulation of what a licensed Harry Potter MMORPG could look like, Hogwarts Legacy fans can’t afford to sleep on this magical free-to-play MMORPG.
Harry Potter is so dominant as a fantasy IP embedded in the world of sorcery and magic that it’s hard not to see it in every subsequent, unrelated IP. Of course, Wizard101 isn’t connected to Harry Potter at all, but Harry Potter fans who’ve been begging for an MMORPG inspired by that world of magic would be doing themselves a big disservice by not at least trying out Wizard101, and they can do so for free on any modern platform of their choice besides Nintendo Switch 2 and mobile devices.
Wizard101 Will Scratch Your Harry Potter Itch
Wizard101 is a neat smorgasbord of gameplay genres, including action-adventure, card/board, and role-playing. It isn’t a stretch to think that Wizard101 may have been even partially influenced by Harry Potter, either, when players attend Ravenwood School of Magical Arts as a brand-new student.
A key difference, however, is that Wizard101’s magic dabbles in the elemental, with players choosing to specialize in Balance, Myth, Storm, Fire, Ice, Life, or Death. Another primary feature that may still be rather niche is Wizard101’s turn-based card combat.
Hogwarts Legacy is a surprisingly rich open-world action-RPG, and the degree to which players can customize their witch/wizard and a Room of Requirement packed with vivariums is a high ceiling to try to reach, let alone shatter. But as successful as Hogwarts Legacy is, an open-world Harry Potter MMORPG could blow it out of the water if tons of players could roam Hogwarts’ corridors together.
It’s Completely Free On Xbox And PlayStation Consoles
Wizard101 didn’t launch on Steam until September 2018, a decade after its original PC launch. It’s free on Steam, too, and is officially available for free on consoles as of last October.
Wizard101’s Nintendo Switch launch was its latest, arriving last month.
Wizard101 enduring as long as it has and enjoying contemporary ports/re-releases is a testament to how great its community and fanbase must be two decades later. Considering this, a Harry Potter MMORPG could feasibly be sustained for countless decades itself, especially with how unrelentingly popular Harry Potter has been for nearly 30 years.
Xbox, PlayStation Has A Free Harry Potter-Style RPG, No Subscription Needed
