Hogwarts Legacy takes place in the late 1800s, prior to the Harry Potter books and films, and back when Phineas Nigellus Black was Headmaster of Hogwarts. Phineas is Sirius Black, Ballatrix Lestrange, and Narcissa Malfoy’s great, great grandfather. Readers of the book might recall that Phineas’s portrait would leak information about Harry, Ron, and Hermione to Snape via his portrait at Hogwarts. Phineas is being played by Simon Pegg, and notably, he doesn’t care too much about the position of headmaster, but rather took the job purely for the prestige of it. Another professor during this era is actually a Weasley.
The character you play as is a late 5th year student, who’s just now starting at Hogwarts and has to therefore play catch-up to the rest. As you’re behind, the Ministry of Magic has loaned to you a magical field guide to help you catch up to the other students – which presents you with ways to learn and grow all around you.
While that’s the conceit, the gameplay itself is that of an open world action RPG, with a deep combat system allowing you to control all sorts of spells from the Wizarding World, including even dark arts, like Avada Kedavra.
Hogwarts Legacy releases on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC on February 10th, 2023. It relates to PS4 and Xbox One on April 4th, 2023.
It will also be releasing to Nintendo Switch, according to Amazon, on July 25th, 2023.
Hogwarts Legacy is developed by Avalanche Software, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. The game has been embroiled in controversy due to transphobic remarks from Harry Potter author JK Rowling. Although she is not personally involved with its development, she stands to profit from its success. For more, read our in-depth article on how Rowling’s comments have impacted the trans community. In this article, you will also find links to trans creators you can support, as well as charities you can donate to.
