Hogwarts Legacy Release Date, Gameplay, And Everything We Know

Set in the wizarding world of Harry Potter, Hogwarts Legacy is a single-player RPG where players get to experience life as a student at the esteemed wizarding school. The game is set in the 1800s, 100 or so years prior to the original book series, and has an original story created by the development team at Avalanche Software.

There have been many Harry Potter games made, from the old 3D platformers based on the early movies and the Lego games covering the entire series, but this is the first time an original story is being told in a full RPG. Hogwarts Legacy has also been surrounded by controversy since its announcement due to Harry Potter creator JK Rowling's comments on transgender issues.

JK Rowling controversy

While not directly involved with Hogwarts Legacy, JK Rowling and her anti-transgender stance have plagued the game and everything related to Harry Potter. The developers took the unusual step of making it clear that Rowling had no direct involvement in Hogwarts Legacy. In its FAQ, WB stated, "J.K. Rowling is not directly involved in the creation of the game, however, her extraordinary body of writing is the foundation of all projects in the Wizarding World." For the complete story read GameSpot's JK Rowling's Anti-Transgender Stance And Hogwarts Legacy. Here is a short excerpt from Jessie Earl's article.

"You're not a bad person if you want to play Hogwarts Legacy. Many trans people themselves are planning to buy the game despite their justified anger towards Rowling. Yet, the important thing is not to condemn the game or renounce your love of Harry Potter; it's to wrestle with the complexity of it and decide for yourself. Trans people don't get to ignore the pain the franchise has become intrinsically linked to, and those who wish to care for them shouldn't get to do so, either."

Release date

Hogwarts Legacy is set to launch for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC on February 10, 2023, following a delay from Holiday 2022. People who buy the more expensive edition can start playing 72 hours earlier, beginning February 7. The PS4 and Xbox One versions of Hogwarts Legacy are scheduled to launch on April 4, and the Switch version is coming July 25.

Fans have been waiting for a long time for the game, as Hogwarts Legacy was originally set to release in 2021, but was delayed to 2022 and then again to 2023.

Trailers

Hogwarts Legacy has had multiple trailers and events since its announcement. These trailers have dug into the story of Hogwarts Legacy, character creation, gameplay, and some of the deeper story threads that you will unravel. The videos have also covered combat and potions.

Another trailer shed new light on the PS5 features of Hogwarts Legacy, which includes DualSense adaptive triggers and haptic feedback, along with different performance and fidelity modes.

Platforms

Hogwarts Legacy is set to release on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, and PC. Warner Bros. has not yet confirmed if the Nintendo Switch version of the game will be a cloud version or not. Warner Bros.' other big release for 2022, Gotham Knights, dropped its last-gen versions in May and will now only release on current-gen consoles, but there's no indication that Hogwarts Legacy will follow suit.

Hogwarts Legacy does take advantage of the current-gen consoles. On the PS5, Hogwarts Legacy will take advantage of DualSense features, using the adaptive triggers to provide resistance based on the difficulty of the spell being casted. The DualSense haptic feedback will be implemented and the light on the controller will flash the colors of your chosen Hogwarts house. The game will also have Fidelity and Performance mode options and faster loading thanks to the current-gen console's SSD; these features are also expected to be available on Xbox Series X.

Multiplayer

Hogwarts Legacy does not feature multiplayer or co-op of any kind. From the Hogwarts Legacy official FAQ, "Hogwarts Legacy is a single player experience and does not have online or co-op gameplay." While there will be plenty of other wizards and students to interact with in Hogwarts Legacy, all of those characters will be NPCs. There will be named characters that you can interact with and develop relationships with, so it won't be a lonely experience, even if it's single-player only.

Story

Hogwarts Legacy takes place in the 1800s, over 100 years before the Harry Potter books. That means you won't run into Harry, Ron, or Hermione during your time at Hogwarts. You get to create your own character that comes to Hogwarts late, starting in your fifth year behind the rest of your classmates. You'll get to pick your house and attend classes at Hogwarts.

Your character will get to explore the Hogwarts castle and the surrounding areas, trying to solve its many secrets and mysteries under the direction of Professor Fig. In the wizarding world, a Goblin rebellion is picking up steam with assistance from dark wizards. You will need to balance classes and bigger world events in Hogwarts Legacy.

Gameplay

The main gameplay of Hogwarts Legacy turns spell-casting into a third-person action game, where you can fire off spells in combat and dodge-roll. You will need to use the spells you learn in class to get through combat encounters and solve puzzles in Hogwarts and the surrounding areas. There is also potion mixing and herbology, which you can use to create items for combat, like screaming Mandrakes or powerful potions to throw at enemies.

In addition to learning new skills in classes, there is also magical gear, which can be collected and equipped to make your wizard more powerful. There are dozens of spells in Hogwarts Legacy, so players can mix offensive and defensive spells to their own personal liking. The PlayStation State of Play about Hogwarts Legacy also briefly shows the player character casting one of the Unforgivable Curses, Avada Kedavra, so you might have the option to take your wizard down a dark path.

Microtransactions

Hogwarts Legacy has been confirmed to not have any microtransactions. The Hogwarts Legacy official FAQ states, "Hogwarts Legacy does not have in-game purchases or micro-transactions." If that's not enough for you, Avalanche community manager Chandler Wood took to Twitter to confirm that Hogwarts Legacy will not have any microtransactions. This does not rule out the possibility of paid expansions post-launch, it just confirms that you won't need to drop real money if you want fancy wizard robes.