The Harry Potter franchise shows no sign of slowing down, more than 25 years after JK Rowling’s first book was published.
Hogwarts Legacy, a new video game set in the Wizarding World, is the latest addition to the ever-expanding Potter universe.
The game has already generated huge hype and controversy, with some fans calling for a boycott in protest of Rowling’s views on trans rights.
Here’s everything you need to know about Hogwarts Legacy.
What is Hogwarts Legacy?
Hogwarts Legacy is an open world game set in the school of magic in the 1800s, about 100 years before the events of the Harry Potter books.
Players take control of a fifth-year Hogwarts student who embarks on a “perilous journey” to “discover a hidden truth of the Wizarding World”.
The game features familiar locations including the Forbidden Forest, Diagon Alley, and Hogsmeade, as well as Hogwarts Castle itself.
The voice acting cast includes Hot Fuzz star Simon Pegg, Downton Abbey’s Lesley Nicol and Luke Youngblood, who played Lee Jordan in the Potter films.
Read more: What does the future hold for the Wizarding World movies?
When will Hogwarts Legacy be released?
The immersive role-playing game will be released on February 10 on PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC.
The PS4 and Xbox One versions will release on April 4, followed by the Nintendo Switch edition on July 25.
It is the first major Harry Potter video game since 2011’s Deathly Hallows – Part 2.
Why is the game controversial?
Some fans have urged gamers to boycott Hogwarts Legacy in protest of Harry Potter author JK Rowling.
Rowling has drawn criticism from some groups for her views on gender identity and trans rights. She has strenuously denied allegations of transphobia.
In December, she spoke out against the Scottish Government’s plans to make it easier for people to change gender legally in Scotland.
She called the proposal “the biggest attack on the rights of Scottish women and girls in my life”.
Warner Bros has said that Rowling was not directly involved in making the game, although they “worked closely” with her team.
Sebastian Croft, who voices a character in the game, has distanced himself from Rowling’s views and apologized to fans “hurt” by his involvement.
He tweeted: “I wholeheartedly believe that trans women are women and trans men are men… There is no LGB without the T.”
Several stars from the film franchise, including Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint, have previously spoken out in favor of trans rights.
The feud also overshadowed the release of last year’s reunion special, Return to Hogwarts, and its latest spin-off movie, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore.
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