
Rowling’s stance on transgender issues has been increasingly polarizing since the PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series S/X, and Nintendo Switch game’s development was first leaked back in 2018. This question is why, for all the enthusiasm displayed by some parts of the Harry Potter community, Hogwarts Legacy developer Avalanche Software and its label, Portkey Games, appears to be in a bit of a pickle. And now that both the overwhelmingly positive reviews and the game itself are here, fans past and present are forced to make a choice: Will they buy Hogwarts Legacy?

Rowling’s transphobic outbursts in the years since she finished the novels-this overwhelming show of support for the franchise’s latest big product feels troubling.

In light of its controversial creator’s personal values-namely, J.K. The audience-driven achievement-small as it might be, in the grand scheme-demonstrated an uncomfortable reality: The Harry Potter franchise, including the expanded wizarding world and the then-unreleased Hogwarts Legacy, remains immensely, unstoppably popular.
