One of the most anticipated games of all time is going through a bit of a nightmare before it’s even been released. The controversies surrounding Hogwarts Legacy are numerous and we try in this article to decipher the ins and outs
[Mis à jour le 11 janvier 2023 à 11h57] Being an open-world role-playing game in the universe ofHarry Potter, all carried by one of the biggest video game publishers of the moment and a development studio renowned for the quality of its work, the success of Hogwarts Legacy seems inevitable. But while its pre-orders are skyrocketing, making it one of the most anticipated games of all time, this release from Warner Bros. Games is in the spotlight for a whole different reason. Indeed, a petition having received more than a million signatures calling for a boycott of Hogwarts Legacy is currently running on the networks, while a large number of PC players are practicing intense review-bombing of the game on Steam before even his exit. A tumult of controversy that we will try to decipher in this article.
You may have seen it on social media, Hogwarts Legacy has been suffering from particularly negative attention in recent weeks. A petition calling for its boycott has received more than a million signatures in recent days (although it cannot be found on the web and on social networks, editor’s note) while the game has remained in first position in sales on Steam for several days. Hogwarts Legacy seems to be dividing the crowds, a surprising fact when you consider the popularity of the Harry Potter universe, and the technical potential of this release definitely like no other.
These numerous calls for a boycott of the RPG from Warner Bros. Games have their origin in the growing unpopularity of JK Rowling, the billionaire author behind the famous Harry Potter books. The latter has indeed adopted controversial positions on transgender people through questionable tweets for a few years. She has thus drawn the wrath of the various LGBTQIA + communities pointing the finger at her remarks as transphobic, and the applause of various anti-woke groups, including none other than Vladimir Poutin who makes her against his will an icon against the “cancel-culture “. The various awkward exits of the British on Twitter have also pushed a majority of the actors of the Harry Potter films (including Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson) to express their support for LGBTQIA+ communities and to dissociate himself from JK Rowling.
And in the collateral damage of this uphill struggle is Hogwarts Legacy, unfortunately for Warner Bros. Games and Avalanche Software. This next release is considered too connivent with the ideas of JK Rowling by some of the groups detracting from the author, who associate her purchase with open support for transphobic and homophobic ideas and massively call for her boycott. An outrage that prompted Warner Bros. Games to break away from Rowling and say:
“JK Rowling is not directly involved in the creation of the game, although her extraordinary body of writing forms the foundation of all Wizarding World projects. We even add that it will be possible, in Hogwarts Legacy, to use inclusive options, allowing the creation of trans characters. We’re going to stay focused on the game we’ve built and the great work of studio Avalanche. We want everyone who loves the Harry Potter universe to love these stories and characters.“
A position that has not succeeded in easing the tensions which still tear Twitter and Reddit today, since many voices still call on players not to buy Hogwarts Legacy, also pointing to the links between the goblins of the wizarding world. , the game’s main antagonists, and the anti-Semitic caricatures that unfortunately enjoyed great success at the start of the twentieth century. While JK Rowling’s stance on this uncomfortable second topic remains unknown, her open transphobia and suspicion of anti-Semitism are many reasons enough to cry out for a boycott of Hogwarts Legacy, despite the inclusion of transgender options in the system. game character creation.
For many players, on the other hand, it is unjustified to associate the pathetic outings of a billionaire author on issues far beyond her realm of relevance, with the work of a studio dedicated to delivering an extremely ambitious and immersive experience to millions of fans. An opinion behind which it is difficult not to line up.
While prancing for several weeks at the top of sales on the PC game platform Steam, Hogwarts Legacy is still and always at the heart of an intense controversy. Following calls for a boycott due to JK Rowling’s more than dubious positions on transgender issues, many PC users of the platform attacked Hogwarts Legacy by trying to submit it to a “review-bombing” even before its release. As a reminder, “review-bombing” is a practice consisting of a massive influx of negative reviews on a game’s page aimed at discouraging potential undecided buyers. Except that this exercise is only possible when the Steam rating system is open to the public, ie after the release of a game.
That’s why critics of Hogwarts Legacy have used a completely different method in recent days, employing the principle of “tags”, these little adjectives that allow Steam to list games according to their content, whether they are range from the simple mentions “FPS” “Multiplayer” “Open-world”, to the more complex “Gore”, “Horror” or even “Genocide simulator”. And you will have understood, the detractors of Hogwarts Legacy, firmly determined to prevent its success, have been relentless in applying extremely unsavory “tags” to the future release of Warner Bros. Games. “World War II”, “NSFW”, “Genocide Simulator”, the attempts at negative labeling have been numerous, prompting Steam to clean up these user suggestions, and to list Hogwarts Legacy under the right criteria.
Probably the most unmissable event of this beginning of the year, Hogwarts Legacy is planned for the February 10, 2023. After many postponements, the creation of Avalanche Software and Warner Games has definitely settled on the middle of February, an ideal period for video game releases. Gamers around the world are eagerly waiting to roam the halls and classrooms of Hogwarts, but unfortunately for PS4, Xbox One gamers, the game’s release on older generation consoles has been postponed until April 4, 2023and at July 25 on Nintendo Switch.
If you are still wondering about the nature of the gameplay of Hogwarts Legacy, know that Avalanche Software and Warner Games have decided to offer us an action-RPG in the open world. A new entry in a genre that’s hugely popular for the amount of freedom it offers the player, but which has also seen some pretty clumsy attempts at adaptation in recent years. We can notably mention in the list of dunces the very last Sonic Frontiers, the behemoth Assassin’s Creed Valhalla and the embarrassing Gotham Knights, which prove to us that the open-world RPG is not a guarantee of success far from it.
Regarding the gameplay sequences presented by Avalanche Software, the game does not hide its graphic ambition, offering breathtaking landscapes and changing environments according to the seasons. One can’t help but notice that the open world of Hogwarts Legacy feels authentic, greatly respecting its time and geographic setting with hamlets and villages straight out of 19th century England and Scotland. The player will have the opportunity to explore this universe at will using different means of transport, such as the first magic broomsticks or a hippogriff.
But that’s not all, Avalanche Software also focused on the nature of the fights, and there is something to comment on these few sequences. The game is based on real-time confrontations that can possibly think of The Witcher 3 combat, without the swords. Your character can use a combination of ranged attacks and spells while having the option to dodge enemy attacks. Like Geralt, you will have to adapt your gameplay according to the enemy you encounter. You will also have the opportunity to train in a black magic arena, in order to refine your casting of deadly spells.
You can also customize your character in depth, as well as the Room of Requirement. Indeed, the latter will act in game as a base from which you can plan your various adventures. From the architecture to the various pieces of furniture, this magical little bedroom is totally yours, recreating the feeling of an almost conscious room found in the Harry Potter books. It can accommodate different trophies from your adventures.
As is often the case with new triple A releases, Hogwarts Legacy will be available in 3 editions upon release. The Standard Edition includes the base game as well as some cosmetics if you skip the pre-order step, the Deluxe Edition includes a cosmetic pack of black magic, as well as access to the game 72 hours before its release (only for PC, PS5 and Xbox Series players), and Playstation players will be able to enjoy a quest exclusive to their in-game platform. , a Steelbook, and other cosmetic perks.