Despite recent controversy surrounded author J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter is still very much one of the most popular franchises around, with millions of fans worldwide still clamoring for new experiences set in the Wizarding World. This year, Hogwarts Legacy is set to release, promising to transport fans to the iconic castle grounds, and let them live out their wildest Hogwarts fantasies. From broomstick riding to spell casting, Hogwarts Legacy looks to have it all, and fans are more hyped than ever.
As is the case with every modern video game, and especially AAA titles being worked on by hundreds of people, leaks are inevitable. Character designs, plot points, game mechanics, sometimes even entire test builds of the game get leaked, and while not all leaks turn out to be true, they do often give fans an indication of what's to come. A recent Hogwarts Legacy leak may have revealed one of the game's ridable mounts, and in doing so, may have revealed a fairly important detail about the game's central protagonist.
What Hogwarts Legacy's Leaked Mount Could Mean
Last month, Reddit user opalelement shared around a list of names, all allegedly referring to Hogwarts Legacy's pre-order bonuses and DLC. These titles were apparently found by mining the game's official website's source code. Some of the titles include "Dark Arts Cosmetic Pack," "Dark Arts Battle Arena," "72 Hours Early Access to the Game," "Kelpie Robe," and "Steel Case." Just a few days ago, another Reddit user by the name of BattleDashBR leaked two images, both apparently coming from the source code once again, and both showing these titles as how they'd appear on the website. As far as leaks go, this one seems fairly believable.
While the other DLC titles sound exciting in their own right, there's one that might stand out to long-time fans of Harry Potter, titled "Thestral Mount." If the leak is to be believed, then this title should refer to a DLC or pre-order bonus that will let players ride a Thestral in-game, which makes sense as Thestrals are skeletal horse-like creatures, and they've been ridden in the Harry Potter franchise by the main crew multiple times.
The Hogwarts Legacy trailers released so far have shown a plethora of magical creatures, ranging from trolls to dragons, but the Thestral stands out for one big reason: only those who have witnessed death first-hand can see them. So, if this leak is to be believed, then the inclusion of this Thestral Mount may hint at the main character's backstory. If they're able to see Thestrals, then the main character must have witnessed death at some stage of their life, which could influence the way the player is able to make decisions during the course of Hogwarts Legacy's story.
Alternatively, it could be the case that this Thestral Mount DLC won't be released or activated until the end of the Hogwarts Legacy's story, which could in turn imply that during the course of the narrative, the player-character sees death in some form or another. The Harry Potter franchise is no stranger to the theme of death, with it playing a pretty pivotal role throughout the main book series, especially in The Deathly Hallows, but it's relatively rare that central characters are killed on-screen. If Hogwarts Legacy really wanted to set itself apart from the rest of the Harry Potter properties and form its own unique identity, then having a main character die on-screen would be an intriguing way to raise the stakes and subvert expectations.
Hogwarts Legacy launches Holiday 2022 for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.