A campaign against the Harry Potter game
Hogwarts Legacy is a video game based on the famous Harry Potter franchise. And precisely because of its creator, J.K. Rowling, there is a boycott for its controversial phrases against trans rights.
One of the most anticipated games of 2023 is in the midst of a negative campaign on social networks. Hogwarts Legacy, which will be released for PS5, Xbox Series X | S, and PC this February 10, is suffering from an internet boycott that has even divided fans of the mother franchise 'Harry Potter'.
A large campaign on the internet is asking that this title from Warner Bros and Avalanche Software not be played due to the comments of the founder of this saga: J. K. Rowling.
The internet boycott
Hogwarts Legacy is based on the Harry Potter universe and his books, but it doesn't tell the same story, but rather 100 years before the events of the film saga.
The franchise as such belongs to Rowling, who has been accused on multiple occasions of transphobia, denying the rights of trans people on the internet and mocking many of them.
For the same reason, fans have asked the internet not to play the title because it would continue to support the British despite her controversial statements.
The case has been so important that even in international gaming media reviews many cases have decided to refer to the issue in a main section or have simply decided not to do any coverage on it.
"As reviewers, our job is to answer the question of whether or not we find Hogwarts Legacy fun to play and why; whether it's ethical to play is a separate, but very important question," IGN said.
Streamer fans have also been divided on the matter, discussing whether or not these characters should play this title. The debate has been so much that services have even been created to identify which streamer is playing Hogwarts Legacy to be "harassed" on the internet.
But while many try to prevent the game from being bought, others say they did so to upset the boycott movement or to show their support for Rowling. The title is among the best sellers on Steam in pre-orders and has generated positive reviews in the media where it has been reviewed.
J. K. Rowling is behind the game?
Rowling has not had an active part in the development of Hogwarts Legacy, but critics believe that the popularity of the game will benefit the author monetarily, she has stopped creating content regarding the franchise, but she continues to earn royalties from the IP.
Warner Bros have been against Rowling's statements. "We're going to stay very focused on the game we've built and the great job Avalanche studio has done," said David Haddad, the head of the games division. "We love everyone who loves this world and loves these stories and loves these characters."
In the same game, the editor will allow users to create trans users by untying the body and voice selections in terms of gender. Likewise, one of the main people, Sirona Ryan, is openly trans.
