Fact: “Hogwarts legacy”
“Hogwarts legacy” is an action role-playing game in an open game world where the player starts at Hogwarts School of Magic as a fifth grader in the 19th century.
The player attends classes, flies broomsticks, solves quests and hangs out with classmates and teachers as well as fights evil.
“Hogwarts legacy” is released for Playstation 5, Xbox Series and PC on February 10. Versions for Playstation 4 and Xbox One will be released on April 4, and Switch will receive its version on July 25. The game has generally received good ratings.
“Hogwarts Legacy” allows the player to create their own wizard or witch, and enroll in Hogwarts School of Magic in the 19th century. The game is long-awaited – last year it was nominated for the most anticipated award at the game galas The game awards and Golden joystick awards.
But at least as much as the game itself, the creators of the book series have been in the spotlight. In recent years, author JK Rowling has often aired her views on gender identity, which critics have accused of being transphobic. Among other things, Rowling has fought against a Scottish law that makes it easier to change one’s gender on birth certificates.
JK Rowling frequently airs her views on trans issues, which has led some to question whether one should buy products associated with her. Stock image. Entertainment against solidarity
Her statements have received sharp criticism. Voices have been raised to boycott Rowling and the works that take place in the world she creates and continues to make money from. Youtube personality Jessie Earl signs on Twitter that supporting “the legacy of Hogwarts” is harmful and that buying the game “says you care more about entertainment than solidarity with transgender people. And it strengthens JK Rowling’s platform”.
The gaming site The Gamer also boycotts the game, and writes in its justification that one will neither write news updates and guides nor review the game.
“I care what games you play, and I don’t think you should play this,” writes editor-in-chief Stacey Henley, who describes herself as “a trans woman who loved Harry Potter growing up.”
Affects others
Some, on the other hand, have highlighted that one must distinguish between work and author. Others pointed out that a possible boycott would affect the hundreds of developers who created the game and have nothing to do with the author.
“Hogwarts legacy” is the first major console game in the Harry Potter universe in many years.
The storm surrounding JK Rowling has prompted Warner Bros, the game’s publisher, to distance itself from her, stressing that the author is not directly involved in the game and that it strives to be inclusive.
It also seems that the developers, American Avalanche Software (not to be confused with the Swedish Avalanche Studios Group), have made an effort to create just one inclusive game. The player can create their own character who is not locked into traditionally male or female attributes, and one of the side characters is the transgender Sirona Ryan.
The developers of “Hogwarts legacy” do not seem to subscribe to the views of author JK Rowling. Among other things, a transgender person appears in the game. Press photo.
“The group felt it was very important to create a game that is representative of the rich and diverse world of Harry Potter as well as the player groups that play the game, which includes the LGBTQI community. We have a broad cast of characters and actors that players will encounter through the game,” says a spokesperson for the developers in a comment to the game site IGN.
TT has contacted the developers, who say they are not doing any more interviews before the release.