Hogwarts Legacy

Hogwarts Legacy is an upcoming action role-playing video game developed by Avalanche Software and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment under its Portkey Games label, using Unreal Engine. It is set in the Wizarding World universe, based on the Harry Potter novel and film series and Fantastic Beasts. The game is set to be released in late 2022 for Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

Hogwarts Legacy
Developer(s)Avalanche Software
Publisher(s)Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment[upper-alpha 1]
Director(s)Alan Tew
Producer(s)James Cabrera
Artist(s)Jeff Bunker
Writer(s)Moira Squier
SeriesWizarding World
Harry Potter
EngineUnreal Engine[1]
Platform(s)
ReleaseQ4 2022
Genre(s)Action role-playing
Mode(s)Single-player

Plot

Hogwarts Legacy is set in the late 1800s and follows a student starting at Hogwarts in their fifth year.[2] The player character is someone who holds the key to an "ancient secret that threatens to tear the wizarding world apart", is capable of manipulating a mysterious ancient magic, and will need to help uncover why this forgotten magic has suddenly made a resurgence and the ones that are simultaneously trying to harness it. The player character will interact with NPCs seen within the Hogwarts franchise including Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington (Nearly Headless Nick), The Fat Lady and Peeves. The player character will also be introduced to new NPC's such as teachers Professor Eleazar Fig acting as a mentor figure as well as Ranrok, the leaders of the Goblin Rebellion, and Victor Rookwood, the leader of the Dark Wizards.[3]

Gameplay

Hogwarts Legacy is an open-world single-player RPG with multiple difficulty and accessibility options, while attending classes at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry such as Charms, Defence Against the Dark Arts, Herbology, and Potions. Locations from the Harry Potter franchise including the Forbidden Forest, Gringotts Wizarding Bank and Hogsmeade Village will be explorable,[4] as will areas as yet unseen visually in other media such as the Hufflepuff common room.[5] Progressing through the game will see these environments change visually to match the seasons.

During character creation the player is able to choose their appearance, house, and gender. Players will be able to customize their character's voice, body type, and wand type.[6] Level progression will give the player access to talents, upgrades, and skills. The game will also feature environmental customisation elements, players will be able to modify the Room of Requirement as they level up through the game.[7]

The player character will learn to cast various magical spells, brew potions and master combat abilities. As players progress, they will be able to develop their own special combat style.[8] Within combat items purchased or crafted may be used to harm or hinder enemies or boost the player character. Taming, care and riding of magical beasts will feature. Dragons, Trolls, Hippogriffs and Nifflers have been shown in gameplay as interactable creatures. Some creatures can be used in combat such as use of the Mandrake to stun enemies.[9]

A morality system plays a role in the game.[4][10] The morality system will factor in players ability to learn certain spells such as The Killing Curse (Avada Kedavra). Player characters will be able to establish friendships with interactable NPC characters. As players grow these relationships, these schoolmates will become companions who can accompany players on their journey, expand their abilities and offer unique dialogue options as players learn their stories.[11]

Development

The game is currently being developed by Avalanche Software, which was acquired by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment from Disney in January 2017.[12][13] In the same year, Warner Bros. established a new publishing label named Portkey Games, which was dedicated to managing the Wizarding World license.[14] According to Warner Bros, franchise creator J. K. Rowling is not directly involved in the game's development.[15]

The game is being built using the Unreal Engine.[1] Gameplay footage had leaked in 2018.[16]

Hogwarts Legacy was announced at a PlayStation 5 event in September 2020, with initial plans to be released for Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S in 2021.[17] However, on January 13, 2021, it was announced that the game would be delayed until 2022.[18]

On March 17, 2022, PlayStation released a State of Play video on YouTube which is dedicated to Hogwarts Legacy. The showcase features an official first look at gameplay along with insights from Avalanche Software.[19][20] A Nintendo Switch version was also confirmed.[21]

Reception

Controversy

In February 2021, a series of social media posts published by Avalanche Software and Hogwarts Legacy lead designer Troy Leavitt received widespread criticism. Online media outlets reported on the content of his YouTube videos such as "In Defense of John Lasseter" and "In Praise of Cultural Appropriation" as well as those showing support for the controversial Gamergate harassment campaign.[22] Following the controversy surrounding his social media activity, Leavitt left Avalanche Software and the Hogwarts Legacy project, though he states that this was unrelated to the controversy. Warner Bros. declined to comment.[23][24][22]

Following the release of the first gameplay trailer in March 2022, the game received criticism for basing in the Goblin Rebellion era of the Wizarding World history with the game's story-line focusing on the player suppressing a goblin rebellion. The Wizarding World lore surrounding goblins has often been accused of being based on known anti-Semitic tropes.[25][26] The core of the criticism spurred from the beliefs that the game's core message, that the minority goblin group should be considered the enemy for rebelling against their oppressor and fighting for free and equal rights.[27][28]

See also

Notes
  1. Published under the Portkey Games label.

References
  1. "Awesome Unreal Engine-powered games of 2022". YouTube. January 6, 2022. Retrieved January 16, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  2. "Q What is the original story of Hogwarts Legacy?".
  3. "Hogwarts Legacy: Your first look at extended gameplay".
  4. Breslin, Richard (November 2, 2020). "New Harry Potter RPG Will Have a Morality System". GameByte. Retrieved October 19, 2021.
  5. "Hogwarts Legacy - Official Behind the Scenes 4K". Youtube. March 18, 2022.
  6. Schreier, Jason (March 2, 2021). "Harry Potter Video Game Will Allow Transgender Characters". Bloomberg. Retrieved March 2, 2021.
  7. "Q hat is the Room of Requirement?".
  8. "Q: Can players customize their character in Hogwarts Legacy?".
  9. "Hogwarts Legacy - State of Play Official Gameplay Reveal". March 17, 2022 – via YouTube.
  10. Mellor, Imogen (October 31, 2020). "Harry Potter RPG 'Hogwarts Legacy' Will Have Moral Dilemmas". GAMINGbible. Retrieved October 19, 2021.
  11. "Q Will players establish friendships in Hogwarts Legacy?".
  12. Statt, Nick (September 16, 2020). "Hogwarts Legacy is an open world Harry Potter game coming to PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC". The Verge. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  13. Takahshi, Dean (January 27, 2017). "The DeanBeat: How Warner Bros. rescued Avalanche Studios after Disney buried it". VentureBeat. Retrieved September 20, 2020.
  14. Grubb, Jeff (November 8, 2017). "Warner Bros. Interactive conjures up Portkey Games to oversee Harry Potter licence". VentureBeat. Retrieved September 20, 2020.
  15. Stephen, Bijan (September 17, 2020). "Warner Bros. reassures fans that J.K. Rowling isn't directly involved with new Harry Potter game". The Verge. Retrieved September 20, 2020.
  16. Wade, Jessie (October 2, 2018). "Harry Potter RPG Leaked Gameplay Has Fans Freaking Out". IGN. Retrieved September 20, 2020.
  17. Dornbush, Jonathon (September 16, 2020). "Harry Potter RPG Hogwarts Legacy Announced, Confirmed for PS5". IGN. Retrieved September 17, 2020.
  18. Schreier, Jason (January 13, 2021). "Warner Bros. Delays Harry Potter Video Game Until 2022". Bloomberg. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
  19. "Live the Unwritten in Thursday's Hogwarts Legacy State of Play". PlayStation.Blog. March 14, 2022. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
  20. "Hogwarts Legacy - State of Play Official Gameplay Reveal PS5, PS4". YouTube. PlayStation. March 17, 2022. Retrieved March 18, 2022.
  21. Romano, Sal (March 17, 2022). "Hogwarts Legacy adds Switch version, launches this holiday; new details, gameplay, and screenshots". Gematsu. Gematsu. Retrieved March 17, 2022.
  22. "Hogwarts Legacy Lead Designer Used To Run Anti-Social Justice YouTube Channel". Kotaku. February 22, 2021.
  23. "Hogwarts Legacy developer leaves after controversy over reactionary YouTube videos". The Verge. March 5, 2021.
  24. "Hogwarts Legacy: Troy Leavitt Explains Decision to Leave the Project [Updated]". Kotaku. March 15, 2021.
  25. Jackson, Gita (March 25, 2022). "Hogwarts Legacy Imagines a Harry Potter Without JK Rowling". Vice. Retrieved April 3, 2022.
  26. Di Placido, Dani. "The 'Harry Potter' Anti-Semitism Controversy, Explained". Forbes. Retrieved March 26, 2022.
  27. "Did Hogwarts Legacy Seriously Just Make The Anti-Semitic Goblins The Villains?". The Gamer. March 19, 2022.
  28. "Hogwarts Legacy accused of using an anti-Semitic trope with goblin plot". Daily Dot. March 21, 2022.
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