20 February 2026

Ways To Shake Up A Second Playthrough

By newsgame

Hogwarts Legacy has been out for more than 3 years… I’ll give you a second to ponder the fleeting nature of time.

Welcome back. Avalanche’s open-world game was a fairly big success, almost guaranteeing that a sequel would be made sooner or later. However, nowadays, AAA projects have such a long development cycle that it will probably be years before we revisit this version of the Harry Potter universe. Frankly, Hogwarts Legacy 2 might end up being a PlayStation 6 game; consequently, we need to make the most out of its predecessor. While not perfect by any means, Hogwarts Legacy is nevertheless a magical experience that provides more than enough justifications to warrant a second (or even third) playthrough.

The core fundamental gameplay might be relatively fixed, but players can make plenty of alternate choices that lead to an overall fresh journey, one that is especially worth taking by people who have not entered Hogwarts for a few years. Anybody desperate for more Harry Potter goodness should boot up Hogwarts Legacy for another playthrough, and they should make the following changes to ensure they are not just doing a rerun.

5

Changing Houses

Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, or Slytherin

Choosing a different house can change proceedings.
Roleplay can also play a huge part.
This can be selected when introduced to the Sorting Hat.

In the first playthrough of Hogwarts Legacy, players will have most likely chosen the house they identify with the most, be it the courageous Gryffindor, curious Ravenclaw, loyal Hufflepuff, or ambitious Slytherin. Potter fans have been debating what house they’d be in since the release of the very first book, so it makes sense to complete a first playthrough with that house.

Why You Should Start Hogwarts Legacy Over

It might not have had a cavalcade of post-launch content, but the latest Harry Potter video game is more than deserving of a revisit in 2025.

So, there’s no better way to switch things up than to select a different house to represent in Hogwarts Legacy. By changing houses, the game offers different dialogue opportunities within the common rooms of the houses. Most notably, Slytherin students get to spend more time with Sebastien Sallow, a key side character whose quests unlock unforgivable curses. But each house also has a different house quest, unlocked following the completion of all quests in “Living As A Student Until Professor Fig Returns.” These different quests can spice up the second playthrough, giving more unique insights into the world of Hogwarts Legacy.

4

Unlock Different Talents

Some Talents Remain Elusive In A First Playthrough

Hogwarts Legacy has a level cap of 40, with 48 talents available for purchase.
Experimenting with character building can provide a new experience.

During the first playthrough of Hogwarts Legacy, it’s easy to neglect parts of the skill tree. With a level cap of 40 and 48 unlockable talents somewhere during a playthrough, some skills have to be neglected in exchange for learning others.

Maybe players avoided the Room of Requirement section of the talent tree in their first playthrough, which can affect gameplay massively with the use of plants and potions, making players an unstoppable witch or wizard. Or perhaps they played the role of a kind-hearted person and chose to avoid the Dark Arts section of the talent tree. These changes to the skill tree can provide a new playthrough with the added difference in gameplay required to freshen up Hogwarts Legacy.

3

Learn The Unforgivable Curses

Become A True Master Of The Dark Arts

Crucio, Imperio and Avada Kedavra allow players to become even stronger.
Unforgivable Curses end fights quickly.

Learn the darkest of dark magic and become an evil witch or wizard. “Avada Kedavra” immediately finishes an opponent, with “Imperio” instantly switching an enemy to your side. Finally, “Crucio” tortures enemies and leaves them screaming as their health drains away.

Hogwarts Legacy: 12 Overpowered Builds

Hogwarts Legacy has been released and fans are already looking for the strongest ways to build their character, here are the most overpowered builds.

Many players will have embraced this dark potential on their first playthrough, but for those who wanted to play as a good witch or wizard, embracing the Dark Arts can spice up a playthrough the second time. Players can become the evil witch or wizard that only the power of the Unforgivable Curses can unlock. Alternatively, for players that unlocked these curses the first time around, maybe embrace being the kind witch or wizard who doesn’t want to know the true darkness of these spells.

Who’s That Character?

Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.

Who’s That Character?

Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.

Easy (7.5s)Medium (5.0s)Hard (2.5s)Permadeath (2.5s)

2

Engage With Classmates

Everyone In Hogwarts Has Their Own Story To Tell

Hogwarts Legacy has a wide range of side-quests to complete.
With 57 side-quests to complete, these can add a huge amount to a second playthrough.

With the engrossing nature of the main story of Hogwarts Legacy, maybe one or two side quests have slipped through players’ grasp on a first playthrough. There’s no better way for players to fully immerse themselves in a 2nd playthrough than to fully explore what Hogwarts Legacy has to offer by completing all the side-quests the game has to offer.

Again, this all depends on what one’s first playthrough of the game was like. If players complete every side-quest the first time around, there is still a way to freshen this up by choosing a different response at the end. For example, instead of doing the “right thing” and giving back Zenobia Noke’s Gobstones, players could keep the Gobstones for themselves. They did all the work, so why should she get them back? Again, this can add an extra element of role-play to the second playthrough of Hogwarts Legacy.

1

Turn Off the Heads-Up Display

A Big Change To Visuals

Removing the HUD can fully immerse players in the Wizarding World.
Adds the extra challenge of remembering what spells are in which slots.

Finally, a simple change to the presentation of the game can fully immerse players in the Wizarding World. By turning off the HUD elements of Hogwarts Legacy, players are forced to explore every nook and cranny to find loot and remember what spells are in each slot. This also provides a stunning experience in the Wizarding World.

Turning off the HUD adds an extra element of challenge in Hogwarts Legacy. Players will have to use their own intuition to find their way around and explore Hogwarts Castle, creating the feeling of being a student in Hogwarts for the first time, even on a second playthrough. Players could also add no fast-travel into the mix to be fully immersed in the Hogwarts Legacy experience. This challenge is not for the faint-hearted, but it makes Hogwarts Legacy even more immersive is a price worth paying.