Google has revealed its list of the 10 most searched video games in 2023.
Top of the list is Hogwarts Legacy, the open-world spin-off of the Harry Potter series.
The game was comfortably Europe’s best-selling game in the first half of 2023, following its release on February 10, and saw subsequent ports throughout the year, with last-gen versions released in May and a Switch version in November.
Warner Bros reported in May that the game had sold 15 million copies worldwide, despite a boycott by some Harry Potter fans due to public comments from creator JK Rowling perceived by many to be transphobic (for a full breakdown of the situation, we recommendthis article by Glamour).
2023 also saw a jump in the popularity of The Last of Us, likely due to the success of the HBO TV adaptation which started in January. As a result, The Last of Us was the second-most Googled game of 2023 and the most searched TV show.
The full list is as follows:
The presence of mobile title Suika Game in the list is likely down to Japan, where the game was number one in Google’s list (with Hogwarts Legacy in second and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom in third).
Last year the most Googled game was Wordle, which was also the global number one in Google’s entire top 10 of all search terms.
It would appear that Connections, a New York Times game that bears more than a passing resemblance to BBC game show Only Connect, has gathered more interest this year.
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