New Harry Potter Hogwarts Legacy game faces boycott in yet another backlash against JK Rowling’s views on transgender issues but author compares it to ‘book burning’
- The launch of Hogwarts Legacy on PS5 and XBox One has reignited the culture wars
- Trans rights activists are calling for a boycott of JK Rowling’s views
- The game tends to be one of the best movies of the year when it goes on sale
The culture wars have reignited once again with the upcoming release of the Hogwarts Legacy Harry Potter game.
Trans rights activists have publicly called for a boycott of the game, which will be available on PS5 and XBox One consoles, as they criticize author JK Rowling’s stance on trans issues.
The game is likely to be one of the best movies of the year when it goes on sale on February 10th. times reports.
The game’s release backlog was dominated by boycott rumors, as well as a ban on discussion on a prominent forum and even the firing of an employee.
Trans rights activists have openly called for Hogwarts Legacy to be boycotted as they criticize writer JK Rowling’s stance on transgender issues
Hogwarts Legacy is likely to be one of the blockbusters of the year when it goes on sale February 10th.
Warner Bros. Games is said to have taken clear steps to make the game feel inclusive, including allowing players to create wizards and witches.
“We know it’s a diverse audience,” game director Alan Tew told IGN. “For us, it’s about making sure that the audience that’s always dreamed of this game has the opportunity to feel welcome again.”
Although the game insists that JK Rowling was not directly involved in the creation of the game, some of her team did collaborate.
Trans YouTuber Jesse Earle, 30, with over 200,000 subscribers, accused Rowling of being a “Purethink” when she tweeted that “any support for something like Hogwarts Legacy is harmful.”
The author also compared her comment to burning books.
Warner Bros. Games is said to have taken clear steps to make the game feel inclusive, including allowing players to create fleeting wizards and witches.
Elsewhere, American gamer Will Overgaard also urged a boycott of a video that has amassed two million views, insisting, “By supporting the title, you’re basically aligning yourself with some really heinous transphobic values.”
The game’s voice cast has also been subject to backlash. Sebastian Croft, who previously starred in Netflix’s LGBT series Heartstopper, was forced to explain his involvement after criticism from fans.
‘I’ve been involved with this project for over three years,’ he said, ‘when everything for me Harry Potter was the wizarding world that I grew up with.
This was long before I knew JK Rowling’s thoughts. I sincerely believe that trans women are women and trans men are men.
Gaming forum ResetEra notably banned discussion of Hogwarts Legacy, while also accusing Rowling of “pushing transphobic legislation”.
The review site Games Radar also began publishing a statement at the bottom of the articles on Hogwarts Legacy: “An acknowledgment … of her publicly stated hurtful views regarding transgender rights.”
