A year ago, we did something we’d been dreaming about for a very long time: we brought Wizard101 to Xbox and PlayStation!  Taking a game as big, crazy, did I mention BIG, and very established as ours and putting it on consoles was no small adventure. We had a lot to learn, a lot to build, and a lot that could go wrong.   

For us, it wasn’t acceptable to just put Wizard101 on another platform.  It had to feel amazing.  We wanted a console-native experience, not just a PC game that happened to work with a controller.  We had to love playing Wizard101 on our couches as much as we loved playing it at our desks. 

That meant updating and modifying roughly 200 different UIs to create a good, proper user experience.  It meant navigating all the weird and wonderful requirements of getting three different console platforms playing together on the same servers.  And it took a lot more time and effort than any of us here could have ever predicted – which, to be fair, what good project doesn’t? 

But it was all worth it when everyone showed up.   

Well, too many of you showed up – at first.   

We really appreciated your patience during launch as we searched high and low to secure hardware (thanks, shortages!) to accommodate the overwhelming response.  You definitely gave our servers a workout!  And that was just the beginning. 

Since then, Wizards have been picking up controllers, enrolling at Ravenwood, and starting their adventures from the couch. And it has been GOOD.  Tons of new Wizards have joined our community, explored the Spiral, faced off against Malistaire, Morganthe, and all the rest of the big bad villains, and experienced the same awesome content that players have been enjoying on PC for 17 years  - 18 now. 

Let’s look back at the first year! 

A Few Notes from Year One of Wizard101 on Consoles: 

• The console family grew even more in January—we launched Nintendo Switch, and suddenly we had THREE consoles playing together on the same servers. 

• We launched the GIANT Ghastly Conspiracy Raid update for all consoles in the late spring, including Raid Island Quests, Rank 4 magic weaving, the Aquila Chronicle Update, the Liches and Legends Housing Gauntlet, Arc 3 Rematches, and so much more. 

• Death, Storm, and Fire, in that order, are the most popular schools on Switch. 

• However, Death, Fire, and Storm, in that order, are the most popular schools on PlayStation and Xbox. 

• Midnight Cat is the most popular pet on all consoles. 

• Over 144 million quests have been completed 

• Over 1.5 million characters have been created 

• Over 22 million hours have been played 

• Roughly 1 billion spells have been cast 

Some Wizards even decided to see how quickly they could conquer the Spiral.  When we opened the Spiral to console players, we challenged our new Wizards to a race: who could be the first to complete each of Wizard101's four story Arcs? 

Navi and Sophia Sphinxborn claimed the first Console World's First title by conquering Arc 1 in just ONE day, on October 10th. Sophia followed that up by taking Arc 2 just two days later, on October 12th. Then Kyle Leaf took over, completing Arc 3 on October 14th—just one day and two hours after Sophia completed Arc 2—and Arc 4 on October 16th. Along the way, Gabriel MythWalker, Steve, and Valerian also claimed top spots in the race. 

We knew it would be competitive, but we had no idea how quickly y'all would tear through the content. Four Arcs in roughly a week! Whew! Hopefully after that, everyone got some rest before picking up their controllers again. 

And now, let’s celebrate an amazing first year on console! 

Our next update is just on the horizon – and when it drops, we’ll be giving away a special, exclusive housing item to everyone in our console community. We’re also going to run a myriad of member benefits—double Pet XP, double Crafting, double Gardening, and free Second Chance Chests until the end of October. Plus, Lark in the Park will be happening Friday only - all as a big thank-you to our console community. 

Whether you've been with us since day one or picked up a controller last week, thank you. 

Thank you for exploring.  

Thank you for playing.  

Thank you for telling us when something wasn't working.  

Thank you for the screenshots, the fan art, the ridiculous character names, the victories, the defeats, and all the stories you've made along the way.   

A game doesn't really become a world until its community fills it with life.  

Over the past year, you've done exactly that.  And we appreciate you!   

Cheers to one year - and here's to many more.  See you in the Spiral, 

Leah “Professor Falmea” Ruben