Hogwarts Legacy is a little over two weeks from launch, as of this writing, and it is surrounded by controversy, with game director Alan Tew recently commenting on that. This controversy is not new, but its encroaching release has pushed an impossible decision on Harry Potter fans. Many grew up with the Wizarding World and have wanted an open-world RPG set in its universe like this one, but J.K. Rowling's transphobic rhetoric has spilled over into some of the game's audience and so on.

J.K. Rowling's transphobic beliefs came to light around 2019, roughly around two years after the Wizarding World game likely entered development, and she's recently and very openly mocked a trans gamer who called supporting Hogwarts Legacy harmful. Whatever justification someone uses, including how Rowling is not directly tied to the game (but indirectly and profiting since it's her world), she has found herself and her beliefs attached to the game.

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There has been more Hogwarts Legacy marketing than ever in recent weeks, revealing key characters, story beats, character creation, previews, and more, and IGN recently spoke with Tew regarding this J.K. Rowling controversy. In response to the ethical questions of playing this game, Tew acknowledged that there have been challenges, and when faced with those, the development team refocused on the stuff they care about. "We know our fans fell in love with the Wizarding World, and we believe they fell in love with it for the right reasons."

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Continuing, Tew also stated, "we know that's a diverse audience. For us, it's making sure that the audience, who always dreamed of having this game, had the opportunity to feel welcomed back. That they have a home here and that it's a good place to tell their story." Tew never mentioned Rowling by name, not that he likely could, nor did he make any direct address for the game's trans audience, but IGN followed up regarding a lot of pause that fans feel regarding Hogwarts Legacy. When asked if Tew himself had any second thoughts about working on this Harry Potter IP, he paused himself before reiterating that Hogwarts Legacy was made for everyone.

It's uncertain how all of this will play out, but with little doubt, the controversy is going nowhere. That hasn't stopped the game's domination pre-release, however. Pre-orders for Hogwarts Legacy are reportedly throughout the roof, potentially setting it up to be one of the best-selling games of the year.

Hogwarts Legacy launches February 10 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X, April 4 for PS4 and Xbox One, and July 25 for Nintendo Switch.

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Source: IGN