The Harry Potter franchise has always seemed ripe for video game adaptation and while gamers have been able to enjoy plenty of adventures about the boy wizard and his friends in that format, die-hard fans of the series have always yearned for a game that allows them to truly immerse themselves in J. K. Rowling's Wizarding World. After today, it looks like that just might happen.
Seemingly appearing out of nowhere, footage of a brand new Harry Potter game has leaked online and has already convinced many that it could be real. Featuring what we can assume is a fully customizable player character, the footage suggests that this title could be an action-RPG of some kind set in Hogwarts, where players can attend classes to learn magic, explore the school grounds, and kill goblins apparently. Tonally, it could be taking a page from the later books/movies where they started to become more mature, though it's unlikely that it'll be completely lacking the franchise's usual charm and whimsy.
According to the Reddit user that posted the video, the trailer was shown off at a focus test and came with an alleged fact sheet about the game:
About
Set in the 19th Century (1800s) Wizarding World, this third-person open-world action RPG game centers around your character with unique abilities who has eared a late acceptance to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. You are a newly arrived fifth year student to Hogwarts that demonstrates a latent gift for magic with a unique ability to track and identify remnants of a potent ancient power.
Upon arrival, strange events begin to materialize in the Forbidden Forest and trouble begins to brew within the castle walls. Together with Professor Elezar Fig, you embark on a journey through both familiar and never before seen locations to bring to light the truth behind these mysterious occurrences.
On your quest you will craft potions, master new spells, and discover fantastical beasts, you will battle Dark Wizards, Goblins, and other supernatural enemies and uncover the truth about your destiny. The Fate of the Wizarding World lies in your hands.
Key Features
Journey to Hogwarts to become one of 8 different Wizard types.
Experience Hogwarts, make new friends, uncover new secrets, and change the fate of the Wizarding World.
Experience a new magic system that creates countless possibilities to master magic.
Freely explore the Wizarding World for the first time.
Choose your house and friends at Hogwarts, and decide to pursue a path of good or evil.
Create your own witch or wizard, and experience a all new story separate from the books or films.
It should be noted that, back in April 2017, Disney Infinity developer Avalanche Software was apparently hiring for a new project; specifically a Senior Writer for the Story department. The job listing stated that they were "looking for a talented storyteller with a deep understanding of British culture and grammatical presentation." Combined with Avalanche being bought out by Warner Bros. in January 2017, this job listing could very easily be connected to this Harry Potter game but, as of now, there's no concrete proof for it.
At the moment, Potter fanatics can enjoy the mobile title Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, of which we're constantly keeping players up to date with the latest events and writing up guides to assist players with some of the more difficult tasks. The latest update included a new Magical Pets side-quest, which we've written up a basic guide for completing.
It's still unknown when Year 5 Chapter 3 of the game will be released, having missed it's usual Thursday release slot with no explanation why.
Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery is available to download on iOS and Android. As for the leaked Harry Potter game footage, Warner Bros. has yet to comment on it.
Source: USGamer