J.K. Rowling's recent string of controversial comments many deem transphobic puts Harry Potter video game, in an awkward spot. Along with other Harry Potter media, fans of the author's work now see buying or not buying Hogwarts Legacy as a choice between denouncing Rowling's controversial statements and ing the many people who worked on the game.
Publisher Warner Bros. Games announced Hogwarts Legacy at the PlayStation 5 Showcase in mid-September, following a long period of murmuring that a console Harry Potter game was on the way. The open-world RPG, which will also come to current-gen systems and Xbox Series X, allows players to create their own Hogwarts students, exploring the school and the world beyond in the late 1800s.
In its FAQ, Rowling tweets criticized the trans-inclusive term "people who menstruate."
After backlash to the latter comments, Rowling compared hormone prescriptions to conversion therapy. Her latest book, Troubled Blood, also features a cross-dressing, male serial killer, according to The Independent.
As a result of all this, many have labeled Rowling a TERF (Trans-Exclusionary Radical Feminist) - a label Rowling denied in her essay - and calls to boycott Harry Potter-related media have since circulated. Hogwarts United's reveal was met with a corresponding reception. With Rowling's book sales lagging during the controversy, it seems Hogwarts United's sales could indeed be impacted, and public backlash could begin to steer publishers away from future Harry Potter projects. Some fans, however, express concern for the many developers who worked on the game, saying they had nothing to do with Rowling's comments and don't deserve punishment. But buying the game may not impact them at all, either way.
Does Boycotting Hogwarts United Hurt The Harry Potter Game's Developers?
As game developer Crystal Frasier said in a popular tweet thread, the devs who worked on Hogwarts Legacy have likely already been paid in salaries or contracting fees, so their pay won't be determined by how well the game sells. If the game tanks enough to hurt its publisher, it could lead to layoffs, but Frasier argued post-game-launch layoffs are a norm in the AAA game development industry, so it's possible they would need to move on to different jobs, anyway. The only people who would profit from additional sales, then, are likely Warner Bros. and Rowling.
This argument ignores the fact, however, that Portkey Games is an entirely Harry Potter-dedicated development studio. If Hogwarts United fails, Warner Bros. could re-brand Portkey and have its team work on other projects, but the more likely scenario is the dissolution of the studio entirely. Still, as YouTuber Jenny Nicholson said following the game's announcement, that kind of consequence is the point of a boycott.
Boycotting Hogwarts Legacy to the point where its sales suffer significantly would most likely hurt individuals in the short-term. But there's no getting around the fact that buying it would continue to Rowling, who has a louder, more influential voice than all of them and will continue to be influential if her brand remains popular. For fans who want to play the game but don't want to Rowling, some have suggested buying it used, which means money won't go to the publisher, as well as donating money to trans activist organizations. But as long as Harry Potter is so beloved as a franchise, Rowling's controversial comments could remain in the public eye.
Hogwarts Legacy is set to release on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X in 2021.
