Hogwarts Legacy is an open-world RPG that allows you to explore the magical world of Harry Potter like never before.
The game is set in the Potter world, but approximately 100 years before the “Boy Who Lived” arrives at Hogwarts. In this game, you can experience a wizard fantasy, attend classes, and learn new spells and amazing tame beasts. In addition, you can venture beyond the walls of Hogwarts, the iconic school of witchcraft and wizardry.
Hogwarts Legacy rumors have existed for years due to a 2018 trailer leak, but the game was officially revealed in September 2020. A period of silence by the development team followed, but in recent months a large amount of news has been confirmed, including a brand new gameplay showcase and a confirmed release date.
We are only a few months away from being able to walk the halls of Hogwarts. But if you can’t wait until then, don’t worry. The next “Hogwarts Legacy” gameplay showcase has just been confirmed. For now, here’s what we know about “Hogwarts Legacy”…
Hogwarts Legacy release date
Originally announced for a 2021 release, “The Hogwarts Legacy” was later pushed back to 2022. Unfortunately, that changed release window proved too ambitious, and the game was moved again, this time to 2023!
Hogwarts Legacy will now be released on February 10, 2023. Developer Avalanche Software confirmed the news on social media and also briefly explained the reason for the postponement.” The team is excited for you to play, but we need a little more time to deliver the best gaming experience possible.”
Hogwarts Legacy will launch on February 10, 2023 for PlayStation, Xbox, and PC. The Nintendo Switch launch date will be revealed soon. The team is excited for you to play, but we need a little more time to deliver the best possible game experience. pic.twitter.com/zh0EsOvDb7
— Hogwarts Legacy (@HogwartsLegacy) August 12, 2022
Hogwarts Legacy platforms
Since “Hogwarts Legacy” was shown at the PlayStation showcase, there was speculation that it would be exclusive to Sony hardware, but the “Hogwarts Legacy” website clearly states that the release platforms are PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X, Xbox One and PC The site also states that the platforms will be PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X, Xbox One and PC.
Surprisingly, a Nintendo Switch version of “Hogwarts Legacy” has also been confirmed. However, this version will not be released until February 2023, but a little later.
Hogwarts Legacy trailer
The trailer for “The Hogwarts Legacy” is a rather fantastic representation of the film. It shows the famous castle and the various ways you can interact with the wizarding world and its inhabitants (both humans and beasts). There are also hints of the game’s main villain, who looks as ferocious as “he who shall not be named.”
At Gamescom 2022 in the summer, a new trailer for Hogwarts Legacy was shown. The fresh game content focuses on Slytherin student Sebastian Sorrow and the “dark arts” path that players can choose to take. The trailer consists almost entirely of footage of optional quests, which seems to suggest that side content for “Hogwarts Legacy” will be more than run-of-the-mill fetch quests.
The “Feel the Magic” trailer, which repurposes footage from the State of Play presentation and showcases PS5-exclusive features, is also available on the PlayStation®Network blog and the PS5’s dual-sense controller. Learn more about the implementation.
In honor of Back to Hogwarts Day, the annual celebration of all things Harry Potter, four new trailers for The Hogwarts Legacy have been released, one dedicated to each of the common rooms. You can view all four trailers in this YouTube playlist.
Hogwarts Legacy gameplay
The best way to get a feel for the gameplay of Hogwarts Legacy is through the 14-minute gameplay demo. The video showcases many of the game’s features, from its expansive open world to its exhilarating combat system, and has me quite looking forward to playing Hogwarts Legacy later this year.
Hogwarts Legacy allows players to step into the world of the famous wizard as a new character not seen in books or movies. Players will play as a late-blooming wizard who entered the school as a fifth-year student. Within the walls of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, they will learn spells in class, make all the potions, duel with their classmates, and unravel the castle’s many secrets.
The gameplay presentation also confirmed that “Hogwarts Legacy” will offer an exciting combat system with dozens of spells at your disposal. Also available are unique abilities such as invisibility and magical plants that incapacitate enemies.
Another important aspect of “Hogwarts Legacy” will be honing your skills as a witch or wizard. The game has a talent system that allows you to upgrade key attributes and unlock new skills. Characters also have access to very powerful “old magic,” which can be used to create new magic or to create new magic.
The “Room of Requirement” also seems to play a major role in the game. Players will use this constantly changing room as a sort of home base. Here, they can enhance their wizard abilities, grow useful plants, upgrade their equipment, and brew potions. A customizable zoo is also available, where phantoms of all kinds will be tamed and cared for.
Exploration
Exploration (whether on foot or on a broomstick) seems to be an important part of the Hogwarts Legacy. They will be able to roam not only throughout Hogwarts but also in neighborhoods such as Hogsmeade and the Forbidden Forest. Each of these locations will have secrets and side quests that will challenge you.
The aforementioned gameplay trailer also reveals that players can choose which of the four Hogwarts houses they will be assigned to. However, no details have been given as to whether this is a simple user choice or whether it involves some sort of gameplay mechanic or morality system.
A second gameplay showcase was held, a treat that will last until February. This 45-minute presentation gave us a closer look at several aspects of the game, including the character creator and our first look at the HUD.
There was also a brief tour of Hogwarts (though the developers confirmed that there are still many secrets to be learned), which gave us a further understanding of how the combat works. This “Hogwarts Legacy” gameplay update makes me eager to play it myself in early 2023.
Hogwarts Legacy multiplayer
Witches and wizards who dream of exploring the famous castle with friends will be disappointed to learn that no multiplayer mode is planned.”
An article on the PlayStation Blog includes comments from the development team confirming that “Hogwarts Legacy” is essentially a single-player action RPG. So don’t expect any multiplayer or online elements, at least at launch.
Hogwarts Legacy setting
The developers say they want to “break new ground by creating a fresh way for fans to immerse themselves in the wizarding world,” so perhaps there will be places within Hogwarts that have never been unearthed. Are there more secret rooms hidden somewhere within the castle walls?
It has also been confirmed that the “Hogwarts Legacy” will extend beyond Hogwarts into the wider “Wizarding World”. Iconic locations such as Hogsmeade Village, the Forbidden Forest, and the Black Lake will be available for exploration.
The Scottish Highlands surrounding Hogwarts School will also be open for adventure, dotted with unique wizard villages. Each village will feature vendors, side quests, and new puzzle dungeons.
We expect to have magical shopping in Diagon Alley. London, however, has not yet been finalized.
Exclusive content
Witches and wizard aspirants playing on PS5 and PS4 will receive exclusive Hogwarts Legacy content in the form of additional quests and potion recipes.
Exclusive to the PlayStation® version, the quest is “The Haunted House of Hogsmeade”. Your character will help a mysterious shopkeeper named Cassandra Mason, who is harboring a sinister secret. Upon completion of the quest, you will be given an additional outfit and your own store where you can sell items and gear at a higher rate than anywhere else in the game.PlayStation® players will also receive a Felix Felici’s potion recipe that will make equipment chests appear on the minimap for an entire day! The Hogsmeade Shop is a great place to shop for all kinds of items.
Hogwarts Legacy pre-order
The release date has been set, and pre-order details for The Hogwarts Legacy have been finalized. Various editions have been announced, including a Deluxe Edition, a Digital Deluxe Edition, and a Collector’s Edition.
The Hogwarts Legacy Deluxe Edition will be available on all platforms for $80/£75 for PS5 and Xbox Series X, $70/£75 for PS4 and Xbox One, and $70/£60 for PC and Nintendo Switch. It includes 72 hours of Early Access to the game and the Dark Arts Pack. This DLC pack includes a dedicated Dark Arts cosmetic set, a flying Thestrals mount, and access to the Dark Arts Battle Arena, where you can test your proficiency in the wicked side of magic against waves of formidable enemies.
The Hogwarts Legacy Digital Deluxe Edition will also be available, priced at $80/£75 for each platform. The Hogwarts Legacy Digital Deluxe Edition includes all the extras of the physical version, plus the Dark Arts Garrison Hat and the CrossGen Digital Upgrade for PlayStation and Xbox.
Potter fans will be shelling out big bucks for the Hogwarts Legacy Collector’s Edition. This ultra-premium edition is priced at an eye-popping $289/£269 for PC and PS4/Xbox One, and $300/£279 for PS5 and Xbox Series X.
The Collector’s Edition includes all the contents of the Deluxe Edition above, plus a life-size floating magic wand with a book pedestal, a collector’s steel bookcase, and the in-game Kelpie Robe.
Will Harry Potter feature in Hogwarts Legacy?
The Hogwarts Legacy takes place in the late 1800s, and Harry Potter’s birthday is July 31, 1980. Thus, he will not be rubbing shoulders with the “Boy Who Lived” when he walks the halls of Hogwarts. In other words, Harry’s best friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger will not appear.
Of course, time travel does exist in the Harry Potter universe, but the development team has answered this question emphatically “no” on the game’s website, so don’t expect a time turn feature.
Potter may not appear, but that doesn’t mean that familiar faces won’t make an appearance. Nearly Headless Nick, the ghost of the Gryffindor dormitory, will be floating around the castle, as will other returning ghosts (Peeves will no doubt be up to his usual mischief). A young Albus Dumbledore may also make an appearance. The timeline of “The Hogwarts Legacy” could crossover with his time at the school.
Controversies
Hogwarts Legacy could not avoid the controversy coming from comments made by Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling regarding the transgender community.
The game’s website enthusiastically declared. “J.K. Rowling was not directly involved in the creation of this game.” However, as a product of the Wizarding World, the connection is obvious and unavoidable. For this reason, some gamers have called for a boycott of the game.
And it’s not just fans who are unhappy; Bloomberg reports that there is discomfort within the development studio with J.K. Rowling’s public stance. Another Bloomberg report says that gamers will be able to adjust their character’s body shape and voice to make the game more trance-ready as a sort of olive branch from the developer.
Outlook
The trailer for “Hogwarts Legacy” is currently the most viewed video game trailer on the PlayStation® YouTube channel, with a massive 30 million views. This alone shows the high level of interest gamers have in this game.
Of course, with such high expectations, expectations can be unrealistic, and if those high expectations are not met, disappointment will follow. But so far, “The Hogwarts Legacy” looks like it could be the Harry Potter RPG that fans have been waiting for for years. If only we could cast a spell, and it could be February 2023 already.
ABOUT THIS GAME
Hogwarts Legacy is an open-world action RPG set in the world first introduced in Harry Potter. Embark on a journey as you explore familiar and new locations and discover magical beasts. Customize your character, create potions, master spells and upgrade your talents to become the wizard you want to be.
Experience Hogwarts in the 1800s. Your character is a student who holds the key to an ancient secret that threatens to tear the wizarding world apart. Make allies, fight dark wizards, and ultimately determine the fate of the wizarding world. Your legacy is what you make it. Live the unwritten.
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
Minimum
- Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
- OS: Windows 10
- Processor: Intel Core i5-8400 OR AMD Ryzen 5 2600
- Memory: 8 GB RAM
- Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 or AMD RX Vega 56
- DirectX: Version 12
- Storage: 85 GB available space
- Additional Notes: SSD (Preferred), HDD (Supported), 1080p/60 fps, Low-Quality Settings, Upscale Performance Setting
Recommended
- Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
- OS: Windows 10
- Processor: Intel Core i7-8700 OR AMD Ryzen 5 3600
- Memory: 16 GB RAM
- Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce 1080 Ti or AMD RX 5700 XT
- DirectX: Version 12
- Storage: 85 GB available space
- Additional Notes: SSD, 1080p/60 fps, High-Quality Settings, Upscale Quality Setting
