Hogwarts Legacy Harry Potter Game Will Reportedly Feature Transgender Character Options

Hogwarts Legacy, an upcoming video game set 100 years prior to the Harry Potter series, will apparently give players the option to create transgender characters. Anonymous developers working on the game revealed to Bloomberg that players would have a number of different options to establish their character’s gender identity, including voice, body type, and “witch” or “wizard” options. WB Games has not made any kind of official announcement following Bloomberg’s report, and declined to comment to the outlet prior to publication. Harry Potter author JK Rowling has also not issued any kind of statement regarding the reporting, as of this writing.

JK Rowling has a history of making transphobic comments on social media, dating back to 2019. Last year, WB Games president David Haddad addressed the situation during a company Q&A, stating that he disagrees with Rowling’s stance, but that she is free to express her opinion. The Bloomberg piece states that many members of the development team have been working hard behind the scenes to offer players an inclusive experience. According to the outlet, “there was resistance from management at first,” but the character creation option is currently part of the game.

The repeated comments about the transgender community from Rowling have left many uncomfortable with the prospect of supporting the Harry Potter brand, or any new projects that will benefit the writer. There might be employees working to make Hogwarts Legacy a progressive game, but the brand is owned by Rowling. Fans will have to judge for themselves whether or not they feel comfortable with purchasing the game, regardless of what’s being included.

Of course, it’s entirely possible these elements won’t make the final cut of the game. Intimate details about the licensing agreement are impossible to say, but it’s entirely possible Rowling will have the power to veto anything she doesn’t approve of. For now, fans of the Harry Potter brand will have to wait and see what gets officially announced from WB Games in the coming days.

Hogwarts Legacy is set to release on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC sometime in 2022. You can check out all of our previous coverage of the game right here.

Are you looking forward to Hogwarts Legacy? Are you happy about the reported character creation options? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk all things gaming!