Avalanche Software is busy at work on Hogwarts Legacy, the upcoming Harry Potter action-RPG that has quite a bit of hype behind it. Fans have gotten some brief glimpses at Hogwarts Legacy through leaked footage and cinematic trailers, but much of what the game will entail has remained shrouded in mystery. Considering this, fans don't really know how Hogwarts Legacy will handle things like holidays, but that's one area it should be able to nail.
All kinds of video games nowadays have seasonal events that reflect real-world holidays, but sometimes they feel forced or aren't really a natural part of the game's identity. Hogwarts Legacy shouldn't have that problem, as holidays are a core part of the Harry Potter DNA. The Harry Potter books and films depict Harry and his classmates' years at school, often starting in the fall and going all the way to the end of the school year, showing what happens during events like Halloween and Christmas at Hogwarts.
Without knowing the structure Hogwarts Legacy will take, it's hard to say how it will handle holidays. It seems likely that Hogwarts Legacy will have a linear story that leads players through the school year, but it's also possible it will use some kind of background clock where time passes regardless of how much progress is made in the story. Since Hogwarts Legacy is single-player and not a live service game, it seems unlikely that players would need to wait for the real-world Halloween and Christmas to roll around to participate in holiday festivities, but it's possible that there will still be seasonal events tied to them.
Hogwarts Legacy Halloween and Christmas
We know that Hogwarts Legacy will let players create their own witch or wizard and attend school at Hogwarts. They'll be able to explore an open world, attend classes, and engage with a morality system that will presumably impact their relationships with other characters. One has to imagine that holidays like Halloween and Christmas will be featured during the school year as well, and if so, it will be interesting to see exactly how they're incorporated.
In the Harry Potter books and films, Halloween and Christmas at Hogwarts are shown to include decorations and big feasts in the Great Hall. While Hogwarts students stay at school for Halloween, Christmas is a time when many of the students actually leave and return home to visit their families. This could be reflected by having less Hogwarts students roaming the halls during Christmastime in Hogwarts Legacy.
Christmas could also be marked by snow and its own decorations, its own feast in the Great Hall, and of course, presents. Details on how Hogwarts Legacy parentage will work have not been revealed at the time of this writing, but assuming the player character isn't an orphan like Harry Potter, perhaps they will be treated to Christmas gifts from their folks. And depending on how the holidays are incorporated into the game, the gifts could be simple consumable items or important key items to advance the story. For example, maybe Hogwarts Legacy players will get a broom at Christmas that will then allow them to make it on the Quidditch team.
Something that likely won't appear in Hogwarts Legacy is the Yule Ball Christmas dance. In the books, the Yule Ball is held during the Triwizard Tournament, and since the Triwizard Tournament was banned during the years Hogwarts Legacy takes place, the dance wouldn't happen. Avalanche Software has made it clear that it is doing its best to stick with the established Harry Potter continuity, as evidenced by the lack of the Whomping Willow in the game, and so one has to imagine the developers will resist the desire to add the Yule Ball. But even if the official Yule Ball won't be in Hogwarts Legacy, it's possible that there will be other Christmas-themed events for players to attend that are similar.
Of course, all of this is just speculation at this time. Avalanche Software has not shared any details about how holidays or other seasonal events will work in Hogwarts Legacy, and while unlikely, it's possible they won't really be incorporated in any significant way at all. Fans should keep that in mind and stay tuned for more official information on Hogwarts Legacy.
When is More Hogwarts Legacy News Coming?
Unfortunately, all Hogwarts Legacy fans can do right now is speculate about the game, as a lot of it has been kept underwraps. But while there hasn't been much in the way of official Hogwarts Legacy news as of late, it's possible that more information will be coming sooner rather than later.
Reputable leakers have teased that more Hogwarts Legacy news is coming soon, with a potential reveal happening as early as The Game Awards on December 9. Like with all rumors and speculation, fans should keep their expectations in check, but it wouldn't hurt for Harry Potter fans to tune in to The Game Awards on December 9 just in case the game makes an appearance at the show.
Hogwarts Legacy will launch in 2022 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.