- The Hogwarts Legacy controversy centers around the transphobic views of J.K. Rowling, the creator of the Harry Potter franchise and the world in which the game is set.
- Many people are questioning whether they can separate the art (the game) from the artist (Rowling) and whether they should support the game financially given Rowling’s beliefs.
- Some members of the gaming community, including the r/GamingCircleJerk subreddit, have spoken out against the game and the support it provides to Rowling.
- The plot of the game, which involves suppressing a goblin rebellion, has also been criticized for potentially glorifying the role of a magical police force maintaining the status quo.
- The involvement of an alt-right Gamergate troll as the former lead designer of the game has further fueled the Hogwarts Legacy controversy.
The Hogwarts Legacy controversy is already a never ending story. J.K. Rowling, the creator of the Harry Potter franchise, made openly transphobic comments and refused to back down. In the past two years, she has become increasingly vocal about her animosity towards trans individuals, particularly trans women, and many Harry Potter fans have called for a complete boycott of official products that could financially benefit Rowling.
Hogwarts Legacy controversy explained
The Harry Potter series and the world it has created are highly regarded by many. However, the creator of the franchise, J.K. Rowling, has consistently demonstrated transphobic views. This bigotry has once again been brought to attention as the highly anticipated Harry Potter game Hogwarts Legacy is set to be released. The Hogwarts Legacy controversy has sparked discussions on social media and on Reddit, with many people expressing their opinions on the matter. This may also be the reason for the significant backlash against Hogwarts Legacy on the popular progressive subreddit r/GamingCircleJerk.
r/GamingCircleJerk is a subreddit that is meant to be a humorous take on r/Gaming. While the majority of posts are meant to be jokes, there are sometimes serious posts, like the one made last Wednesday by moderator GrizzlyPeak72, which included a picture of Rowling and the game’s cover along with the message: “A friendly reminder from your modteam that this woman is a TERF and anyone who pledges to support her monetarily is also a transphobe.” This single post received over 3,700 comments and was just the beginning of the Hogwarts Legacy controversy.
“TERF” stands for “trans-exclusionary radical feminist,” which refers to feminists who oppose the inclusion of trans individuals in society. Rowling has a history of making transphobic comments, which can be easily found online. It is not an exaggeration to describe her as a TERF.
I respect every trans person’s right to live any way that feels authentic and comfortable to them. I’d march with you if you were discriminated against on the basis of being trans. At the same time, my life has been shaped by being female. I do not believe it’s hateful to say so.
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) June 6, 2020
The post and the issue it brought up sparked the Hogwarts Legacy controversy on Reddit and social media. Some people argued that supporting Hogwarts Legacy does not necessarily mean supporting Rowling’s views, while others maintained that buying the game does financially support the bigoted author. Some comments also highlighted problematic aspects of the Harry Potter series. There were also those who insisted that Rowling is not a TERF despite her repeatedly expressing TERF ideology.
people need to stop behaving like buying hogwarts legacy and being anti-trans rights are synonymous with one another. i just want to relive my beloved childhood memories and not everything has to be a huge political or moral statement
— Jiya (@jiya1402) December 17, 2022
Since the beginning of the Hogwarts Legacy controversy, many members of the r/GamingCircleJerk subreddit have expressed support for the initial post by mod GrizzlyPeak72, in both humorous and serious ways, which is not surprising as the group often satirizes the narrow-minded, anti-gay, anti-woman, and anti-trans views that still persist in gaming communities. GrizzlyPeak72, who made the original “unjerk” post, stated that more than 1,000 transphobes have been banned from the subreddit since their post last week.
There are also many people who have stated that they will still play the game after obtaining it illegally. Even some members of the r/HarryPotter subreddit have expressed concerns about the game, both due to its content and the creator’s views.
Sigh, yes, I canceled my Hogwarts Legacy purchase. Got too caught up in the hype and then Rowling reminded me again why I just need to stop close the book on Harry Potter for good. pic.twitter.com/4OqhXWBmBP
— See Mia Roll to Threads (@SeeMiaRoll) December 19, 2022
However, the Hogwarts Legacy controversy is not a new issue as there has been widespread discontent with Rowling’s beliefs for a long time. The Harry Potter series has faced criticism for its stereotypical portrayals of non-white characters (when they are present at all), its flawed allegories for racial and social injustice, and its potentially racist and anti-Semitic depictions of house elves and goblins.
In the Harry Potter series, the goblins frequently rebel against discrimination. However, the plot for the open-world action RPG game Hogwarts Legacy, as it is currently known, involves the player character suppressing a goblin rebellion that is allied with dark wizards. This raises the possibility that the player will be essentially playing the role of a magical police officer, maintaining the status quo rather than working towards a more equal society. It is also concerning that the former lead designer of Hogwarts Legacy was an alt-right GamerGate troll.
About Hogwarts Legacy: I'm gonna gloss over the JK Rowling thing real quick. Why would you want to play a videogame about extinguishing a rebellion of oppressed people? The entire game is a right wing talking point. You're a fascist in the game.
— Diamon D. Dude wants a Free Palestine 🇵🇸 (@DiamondDudeYGO) December 24, 2022
As a result, the entire Harry Potter franchise is being reevaluated as people confront the idea that one of their childhood favorites may not be as great as they thought and grapple with the question of whether they can separate the art from the artist, especially one who continues to profit greatly from the art.
Will J.K. Rowling Profit from Hogwarts Legacy?
As the owner of the intellectual property, Rowling receives royalties from all official Harry Potter products, including Hogwarts Legacy. Although the game is not based on a story written by Rowling, the website mentions that Portkey Games worked closely with her team in the development of the game, which is set entirely in the Harry Potter universe. This means that Rowling will receive royalties from the sale of the game, which will be available in both a Standard Edition for $59.99 and a Deluxe Edition for $69.99. This could potentially be a significant amount of money.
Hogwarts Legacy release date
Hogwarts Legacy will be released for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC on February 10, 2023 after being pushed back from its original Holiday 2022 release date. Players who purchase the more expensive edition will be able to start playing the game on February 7, 72 hours earlier than the official release date. The PS4 and Xbox One versions of Hogwarts Legacy are planned to be released on April 4, and the Switch version will be available on July 25.
The game has been highly anticipated by fans, but its release has been delayed multiple times, with its original release date in 2021 being pushed back to 2022 and then to 2023. It remains to be seen how the Hogwarts Legacy controversy will affect the sales and reception of the game.
Don’t forget to check out Hogwarts Legacy system requirements if you still want to play the game!
