Last month, developer Avalanche Software announced that Hogwarts Legacy, originally slated to release this year, will be delayed to 2022. As expected, many were disappointed with the news, but some view it as a good thing, given that it will give Avalanche Software plenty of time to develop Hogwarts Legacy into the triple-A title that Harry Potter fans deserve.
Ever since Hogwarts Legacy was announced last year, there's been a great deal of hype for the game, given that the Harry Potter franchise has never really had a proper game outside of tie-ins to the movie and a couple of mobile games. Although Avalanche is still yet to reveal a gameplay preview, its promise of an open-world game set in the wizarding world of Harry Potter is more than enough to excite fans. However, despite its promising premise, Hogwarts Legacy continues to receive negative feedback from the online world, and here are the two major reasons why.
Hogwarts Legacy's Association With J.K. Rowling
Given that Hogwarts Legacy is set in the world of Harry Potter, it is unsurprising that many associate the upcoming game with author J.K. Rowling, the creator of the Harry Potter novels. The problem is, J.K. Rowling continues to be in hot water online, given her controversial opinions on the transgender community that are transphobic in nature. This led to some people calling for the boycott of Hogwarts Legacy rooted in the argument that purchasing the game would be indirect support for Rowling, and to some extent, her controversial views.
However, developer Avalanche Software clarified that while Hogwarts Legacy is grounded on the world of Harry Potter that Rowling created, the author has no direct involvement in the upcoming game. While Avalanche did not explain this further, Rowling likely has no inputs on the game's story and elements outside of those already established in Harry Potter's lore.
Although Rowling is not involved in creating Hogwarts Legacy, it is worth noting that since she is the creator of the universe where the game is set in, it is likely that she will somehow profit from it, either via an upfront payment, royalties, or both. Of course, it is impossible to have any Harry Potter-related projects with no associations with Rowling, so it remains to be seen how the author's troubled reputation would affect Hogwarts Legacy's performance once it releases next year.
Controversial YouTube Videos of Hogwarts Legacy's Designer
Apart from J.K. Rowling, Hogwarts Legacy is also facing another controversy, this time revolving around one of the game's now-former developers. Last February, Twitter user Liam Robertson, known for his collaborations with Did You Know Gaming, called out Hogwarts Legacy designer Troy Leavitt for his anti-feminist and pro-Gamergate videos on YouTube. Looking through Leavitt's YouTube channel, it is apparent that many of his videos are about Gamergate and controversial views on feminism in the video game industry. Another video that is widely being criticized right now contains a lengthy defense for John Lasseter, the co-founder of Pixar, who has since resigned from his position in 2017 after allegations of sexual misconduct.
Following the criticisms, Leavitt announced on Twitter that he has decided to part ways with Avalanche Software. Leavitt did not specifically mention the ongoing controversy as the reason for his departure in the tweet, but he explained that he has "nothing but good things to say about the game, the dev team, and WB Games." Despite the lack of details on his tweet, Leavitt announced that he would be releasing a YouTube video about the issue soon. At the moment, Avalanche Software and WB Games haven't made any comments on Leavitt's departure. However, in 2018, Leavitt confirmed that WB Games is aware of his YouTube channel, stating that "it didn't appear to be an issue for them." He also clarified that this does not mean the company is endorsing his beliefs. Rather, the game publisher is only concerned about making good games than pushing a social justice agenda.
It remains to be seen how all of these controversies would affect Hogwarts Legacy's performance, especially since fans are divided in opinion. On one corner, some have committed to not supporting Hogwarts Legacy, given that doing so would be an endorsement of Rowling and Leavitt's beliefs. On the other side, some believe that it is unfair for Hogwarts Legacy and its current developers to suffer from J.K. Rowling and Troy Leavitt's personal controversies.
Hogwarts Legacy has been announced for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X and S for release in 2022.