Posted in: Games, Hogwarts Legacy, Video Games, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment | Tagged: avalanche software, harry potter, Hogwarts Legacy, transgender, WB Games

Harry Potter Game Hogwarts Legacy Will Have Transgender Characters

Published Tue, 02 Mar 2021 19:10:32 -0600

by Gavin Sheehan

Comments

Flying in the face of recent comments by J.K. Rowling, the upcoming game Hogwarts Legacy will have transgender characters. The news came down from Bloomberg today, who got confirmation on the addition to the game as you will be able to choose everything about your character's appearance, including what gender they identify with (or if they even identify as one at all). Here's a quick snippet from the article about how the choices can be made in the game.

Hogwarts is going to be all-inclusive, no matter what house you belong to. Courtesy of WB Games.

When players start up the game, they will be able to create a character that has a masculine or feminine voice no matter what their body looks like, according to people familiar with the game's development. The people requested anonymity because they weren't authorized to speak to the press. Players will then get to select one of two options — "witch" or "wizard" — that will determine the dorm they get placed in at the magical school of Hogwarts and how they are addressed by other characters in the game.

The move comes after two very public incidents that have tainted the release for many. The first being Rowling's own comments on transgendered people, and the second being that Troy Leavitt, senior producer at developer Avalanche Software was outed by U.K. journalist Liam Robertson who revealed several videos made by Leavitt with views going after feminism, social justice, and other topics. The latter happening just a few weeks ago, which has put the game in a bad light for many fans. Will this change the opinion of Harry Potter fans both current and former about whether they'll purchase Hogwarts Legacy? That has yet to be seen. But as far as making the game all-inclusive despite the view of some of those having a hand in making it, it's definitely a step in the right direction.

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!