Hogwarts Legacy reportedly includes a first for J.K. Rowling's Wizarding World.
According to multiple reports, the new Harry Potter video game introduces the franchise's first trans character as the series' creator faces ongoing backlash for her statements about transgender people.
In the game, players encounter Sirona Ryan, who owns a pub and explains that it took time for her classmates to realize she "was actually a witch, not a wizard," according to Variety. Entertainment Weekly reports it is not "explicitly stated that the character is trans," but the line strongly suggets so.
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When reached for comment about the character, a representative for Portkey Games told IGN that the Hogwarts Legacy team felt it was "important to create a game that is representative of the rich and diverse world of Harry Potter as well as the groups of people who play games, which includes the LGBTQIA+ community." Previous reports said the game would allow players to create a trans character.
This comes amid calls to boycott Hogwarts Legacy over statements Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling has made that have been widely criticized as anti-trans, including by stars of the films. Rowling is not directly involved in the game, though according to a FAQ page, the makers of Hogwarts Legacy "collaborated closely with her team on all aspects" of it.
Some in the LGBTQIA+ community have advocated for not playing the game, with trans YouTuber Jessie Earl tweeting that "any support of something like Hogwarts Legacy is harmful." But at Engadget, video game journalist Jessica Conditt defended playing and reviewing Hogwarts Legacy despite strongly disagreeing with Rowling's views, suggesting her statements appear to have inspired the creators to "include more representation in the game than the series has ever seen."
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