We’ve known there was a major Harry Potter video game in the works for some time. In October 2018, footage was leaked showing an impressive third-person adventure set in Hogwarts with strong RPG elements. Now, at today’s PlayStation 5 event, that game has finally been unveiled. Its official title is Hogwarts Legacy and it offers players the fantasy of creating a character and taking them through their education at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Set in the late 1800s, this takes place long before the events of both Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and the Harry Potter series proper. Of course, Hogwarts is stuck in a Victorian boarding school time warp, so the locations we see in the trailer will be familiar to anyone who’s seen the movies. In addition, we’ll be able to explore the Wizarding World beyond the Hogwarts walls, as the footage shows a visit to Hogsmeade, a ride atop winged horses and what may be a peek inside Azkaban.
One aspect the promo is keen to underline is that this will be “your story” and that “you will grow into your magical abilities.” I’m betting that the title will take inspiration from games like Mass Effect, where you can design your own character and make decisions that influence the wider course of the story. It seems likely that you’ll be able to choose one of the four Hogwarts houses, too. Do you want to play as a noble and courageous Gryffindor, a cool and calculated Ravenclaw, a sneaking and duplicitous Slytherin or, uh, as a Hufflepuff?
Honestly, if they can pull this off, it could be a Potterhead’s dream in video game form, especially if the world believably reacts to your choices. Hogwarts: Legacy is scheduled for release in 2021 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and PC, though we don’t have an exact date quite yet. As always, though, watch this space for more.