The legacy of Hogwarts
Students discuss the game’s story and controversy
JESSICA MILLS / ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR / THE USD VISTA
With a new, immersive addition to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, many fans were thrilled with the release of “Hogwarts Legacy,” an open-world, action role-playing game.
Set in the 1800s in the Wizarding World, players are put in the center of their own adventure as they complete tasks, master spells, meet other characters and much more.
Published by Warner Bros. under the Portkey Games label and developed by Avalanche Software, the game is firmly rooted in J. K. Rowling’s original story, but it creates new ways for players to plug into the Wizarding World.
“Hogwarts Legacy” is available on PlayStation5, Xbox Series X and S and PC. The game launches on April 4 on PlayStation4 and Xbox One. For Nintendo Switch users, it launches on July 25.
USD junior Jae Johnson has played Hogwarts Legacy since its early release on Feb. 6 and shows videos of himself playing on his Youtube channel.
“I think the game is absolutely amazing and immersive,” Johnson explained. “As a Slytherin myself, I am fairly impressed with the detail. The gaming community is exploding with Hogwarts content, with many large influencers broadcasting the game everywhere, even doing role plays of Harry Potter, while playing (myself included). Even the Harry Potter fans who aren’t gamers love to watch it; it is like a movie that you are in, with the story being about you.”
USD senior Roderick Utz has also enjoyed playing the game.
“There’s a lot of exploring. If you’re someone that wants to complete the game you’d be spending hours upon hours finding little secrets and everything [that’s] hidden,” Utz said.
Although many have appreciated the game’s conception, some remained hesitant to purchase and play it, due to J. K. Rowling’s prior statements regarding the trans community.
In a tweet that surfaced on June 6, 2020, Rowling retweeted an op-ed article that discussed “people who menstruate.” Rowling took issue that the word “woman” was not being used. She ultimately faced backlash, and three years later, many have not forgotten.
However, J. K. Rowling was not involved in the video game’s creation. Her writing remains the foundation for “Hogwarts Legacy,” but this addition to the franchise is not a new story from the author.
“J.K. Rowling is a genius creator, writer and storyteller,” Johnson said. “Her opinions or thoughts on different matters does not take away from anything she has created in my opinion. But that is me. If you are turned off from the game still, she isn’t involved, and nothing in Harry Potter, nor Hogwarts Legacy, even begins to suggest favoritism or exclusivity to anyone.”
The game developers have added a trans character to the game named Sirona Ryan, a witch and barkeep at the Three Broomsticks pub in Hogsmeade.
“She’s essentially a very important character,” Utz said. “You end up becoming friends with her, and it’s a big part of the game, so I feel like that was a way of [game developers] saying ‘we don’t associate with what J. K. Rowling said.’”
Utz has yet to meet anyone in the gaming community who’s decided to boycott the game due to Rowling’s statement.
“The only person that I’ve met that’s said they’re not going to touch the game is because they don’t like the story,” Utz said.
While “Hogwarts Legacy” certainly features many similarities to the “Harry Potter” series, players can expect a brand new storyline and impressive animation in this game.
