A new report from Bloomberg revealed that Hogwarts Legacy, the upcoming RPG based on the Harry Potter universe, will allow players to make their customized character transgender. This is notable because it follows an extended controversy of series author J.K. Rowling repeatedly showing her transphobic ass online.
According to Bloomberg’s sources, the main character can be customized by voice, body type, and their placement in the dormitories. The player will be able to pick between a “witch” or “wizard” option, which determines both their placement in the school’s dorms and the pronouns that will be used to address them.
All of the above options are cool, although a lack of gender neutral terminology for non-binary characters is notably absent. It even goes a step above Cyberpunk 2077 by not tying gender identity your character’s voice. Although that game had some questionably rigid views on gender and sexuality to begin with. But it’s all happening within a universe created by a transphobic individual who is going to profit from the game despite its inclusion.
Rowling’s doubling down on transphobia has reportedly been hurting the morale at Avalanche Software, which signed on to develop Hogwarts Legacy before the author went mask off. And ultimately, despite what might be some of the developers’ best intentions, it feels like an attempt to save face after repeated controversies surrounding the game. Publisher Warner Bros. has attempted to remove Rowling’s stink on the project by downplaying her involvement, while also defending her right as an individual to say and think whatever she wants, seemingly without any consequences to her business dealings.
More recently, a producer on the game Troy Leavitt, was revealed to have once hosted an anti-social justice YouTube channel, which sparked a separate controversy about the higher ups working on Hogwarts Legacy.
In other news:
- Frogwares Accuses Former Sinking City Publisher of Hacking Game Code to Resell
- Forever Entertainment Enters Deal to Release ‘Several’ Square-Enix Remakes
- Tetsuya Nomura Will Not Direct the Next Part of Final Fantasy VII Remake
Hogwarts Legacy has been delayed until 2022. And as we did then, we will once again encourage folks to maybe spend the money they might’ve spent on the RPG donating to some trans charities:
