A couple of days ago, Sony hosted another PS5 event that turned out to be a pretty big day for the video game community. Not only didSony finally revealed the price and release date of the PS5, but the company’s event also provided updates on upcoming games and announcement of new titles, such as the long-rumoredHarry PotterRPG, which is now officially titled asHogwarts Legacy.
Immediately afterHogwarts Legacy’sannouncement, fans of the Wizarding World roared in excitement, with many expressing how their dreamHarry Pottergame is finally being made. In the debut trailer, it has been revealed thatHogwarts Legacyis an open-world RPG game set in the late 1800s that will allow players to create their own witch or wizard, study magic at Hogwarts, and explore popular locations such as Hogsmead and other areas beyond the prestigious magic school. However, not all supportedHogwarts Legacy, especially sinceHarry Potterauthor J.K. Rowling is currently at the center of a controversial issue.
RELATED:Harry Potter Characters Who Could Be In Hogwarts Legacy
The Issue With “She Who Must Not Be Named”
After making controversial comments that were widely viewed as transphobic in nature, someHarry Potterfans are now referring to J.K. Rowling as “she who must not be named.” Of course, this is a play of the term “he who must not be named,” which was coined by Rowling herself as a moniker forVoldemort, the primary villain of theHarry Potterfranchise. Shortly afterHogwarts Legacy’sannouncement, some people went on Twitter to incite a boycott of the game, due to J.K. Rowling’s stance on the trans community.
All across Twitter, players aired out their disapproval of the game, citing that they won’t be supporting J.K. Rowling in any form. There are even those who revealed that they won’t be purchasing the game if J.K. Rowling will profit from it. However, there are also those players who were torn on whether to purchase the game or not. According to some,Hogwarts Legacyhas been the game they were dreaming of ever since they were children. However, many of theseHarry Potterfans are strongly against J.K. Rowling’s views on the trans community, which is why they are having a hard time on whether to purchase the upcoming game or not. At the other end of the spectrum, some fans even expressed that the developers of the game should not be punished for the actions and words of J.K. Rowling,who has little to no input in Hogwarts Legacy.
The Developers' Stance on JK Rowling’s Statements
As of this writing,Hogwarts Legacy’spublisher Warner Bros. Interactive and developer Avalanche Software haven’t addressed the ongoing backlash against J.K. Rowling. However, several news outlets reported prior to the game’s announcement that developers within the studio are growing anxious about how the controversy surrounding Rowling would affect fan support for the upcoming game. Of course, even ifthe initial reception forHogwarts Legacyis mostly-positive,one couldn’t ignore that the number of fans who will support the game continues to diminish as the issue with author continues.
Although the developers still hasn’t addressed the controversy directly, the FAQ page forHogwarts Legacyis a clear hint thatthe studio is distancing themselves from author J.K. Rowling. In the FAQ, it has been revealed that"J.K. Rowling is not directly involved in the creation of the game, however, her extraordinary body of writing is the foundation of all projects in the Wizarding World. This is not a new story from J.K. Rowling.“Of course, it is worth remembering thatHogwarts Legacyis set in the late 1800s, which means that most of Rowling’s characters in theHarry Potterbooks will not be appearing in the game.
However, it should be noted that the lore the game will follow is based on everything established by Rowling in herHarry Potterseries. Of course, while Rowling herself may not be involved in the creation of the game, she still stands to profit from it somehow, either through an upfront payment for the licensing of her copyright or through royalties from any income Warner Bros. receive fromHogwarts Legacy.This is one of the primary reasons why many are hesitant to supportHogwarts Legacy,given that many feel that by supporting the game financially, they will also be supporting Rowling indirectly, which many are finding hard to accept given her controversial statements.
Hogwarts Legacyis currently in development for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
