In what appears to be a direct refutation of Harry Potter The creator J.K. Rowlingpoisonous transphobia, the next Harry Potter video game Hogwarts legacy will allow players to customize their characters to be transgender. It is a feature that the development team has reportedly struggled to implement in lieu of Rowling’s distressing comments, and which is planned to be an important part of the game when it launches in 2022.
Bloomberg reports that a transinclusive character creator feature will be part of the Warner Bros. game. Interactive Entertainment and Avalanche Software, allowing players to “customize their characters’ voices, body type and gender positioning for school dorms”.
Per Bloomberg, “When players start the game, they will be able to create a character that has a male or female voice regardless of the appearance of their body, according to people familiar with the game’s development.” Players will then be able to select “witch” or “wizard” to determine which dormitory they will be placed in at Hogwarts and how they will be treated by other characters in the game.
This level of personalization is not uncommon in video games, but it is notable in light of Rowling’s blatant transphobia, which undermined the public’s goodwill towards the franchise and was reported by Harry Potter film starring Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson. Harry Potter, a series long considered a safe haven for inclusion, was no longer. But the Hogwarts legacy development team wants to bring that inclusion back to the franchise. Team members who were “shaken” by Rowling’s comments allegedly pushed for personalization of the character and even for a transgender character, reports Bloomberg. There is still no news as to whether the latter will be added, but character customization is part of the current plan, according to a Bloomberg reporter. Jason Schreier.
But this positive step towards transinclusion must come with a grain of salt. Rowling may not be directly involved in the project, which is overseen exclusively by Portkey Games, a new division created to oversee interactive use Harry Potter experiences, but she still earns royalties for projects under the Harry Potter brand.
Here is the official synopsis of the game:
Experience a new story set in 19th century Hogwarts. Your character is a student who holds the key to an ancient secret that threatens to destroy the magical world. Make allies, fight the dark wizards and decide the fate of the magical world.
When Hogwarts legacy will finally be released, supposedly in 2022, will be available on a wide range of platforms, including PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox One and Xbox Series X.
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