Screenshot by Owen Wong ’23

On February 10th, Avalanche Software released their highly anticipated Hogwarts Legacy. The open-world role-playing game brought old fans back to the Harry Potter franchise but also stirred up controversies over Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling’s comments.

After taking to Twitter to criticize a news headline that used the term “people who menstrate” instead of “women,” Rowling doubled-down on her views, tweeting “erasing the concept of sex removes the ability of many to meaningfully discuss their lives. It isn’t hate to speak the truth.”

Rowling has been vocal about her feminist views in the past, and although she went on to say that she would “march with you if you were discriminated against on the basis of being trans,” fans were quick to call her out.

A rift was quickly created between the original “Harry Potter” film crew, as actors Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson made statements in support of the transgender community. 

With the debut of the new Hogwarts Legacy game, there has been an effort by fans to boycott it. But these boycotts have been met with millions of gamers eager to get their hands on the new release.

“I think it’s wrong to boycott the game for using her ideas,” said An Pham ’24. “I’m pretty sure it’s a very small group of people boycotting the game.”

Regardless of attempted boycotts, the game has proved to be extremely popular.

In its first two weeks, Hogwarts Legacy sold over 12 million units, making it Warner Bros. Games’ most successful release ever. The game also peaked at 1.3 million concurrent viewers on Twitch, breaking the streaming platform’s record.