Hogwarts Legacy officially launches later this week but is already creating an almighty stink on social media. Battle lines have been firmly drawn, with those wanting to combat J.K. Rowling’s transphobia fiercely campaigning against it and others trying to fight back by (apparently) purchasing multiple copies to support it.
But beyond the controversies swirling around Rowling, Hogwarts Legacy has received some unexpected praise for getting something right that so many games get wrong: it absolutely nails Afro-textured hair.
Black gamers on social media are singing the praises of the beautifully rendered hairstyles available in the game, which go way beyond the usual stereotypical and outdated offerings from other titles:
Someone at Avalanche Software put some serious love into getting these looking so good:
We cannot deny the style:
Attention to detail:
Even those opposed to Rowling are thrilled:
It’s refreshing to see Afro-textured hair rendered so accurately, especially as too many games are content to throw a buzz cut or ludicrous 70s-style afro at you and call it a day.
The controversy around Hogwarts Legacy isn’t going to die down anytime soon, particularly when the full release day rolls around and millions of players around the world get their hands on it. But, thankfully, the game at least seems to have done this one thing right. We just hope other games in development are paying attention to the praise and the techniques the developers used and we see much more of this going forward.
Hogwarts Legacy will be released on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC on Feb. 10, with the PS4 and the Xbox One releases set for April 4, and the Nintendo Switch on July 25.