Hogwarts Legacy: release date, gameplay and trailers
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Hogwarts Legacy is shaping up to be the Harry Potter game that fans have been clamoring for. For years, fans have been crying out for a full-fledged RPG set in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, and now that we’re into 2023, they don’t have long to wait.
Recently, we had the chance to go hands-on with Hogwarts Legacy, you can read more in our Hogwarts Legacy preview. From what we played, the magic dueling is challenging, but offers plenty of depth for players to experiment.
Even though we are in the final stretch before Hogwarts Legacy releases, there’s still plenty of questions left unanswered. It’s likely that WB Games will offer up even more info as we get closer to launch, in which case this page will be updated. For now, here’s all of the latest news and rumors.
Hogwarts Legacy: cut to the chase
- What is it? A Harry Potter RPG set in the 1800s
- When can I play it? February 10, 2023 (separate release dates for older consoles)
- What can I play it on? PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch
Hogwarts Legacy release date and platforms
A Hogwarts Legacy release date has finally been revealed. It’s coming to Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PS5, and PC on February 10, 2023.
Unfortunately, the Xbox One and PS4 versions of the game were recently delayed. These versions will now launch on April 4, 2023.
While a Nintendo Switch version is coming too, you’ll have to wait until July 25, 2023.
When Hogwarts Legacy first leaked, Bloomberg reported that it would come to next-gen consoles in 2021. However, the start of 2021 saw an official delay to 2022, as publisher Portkey Games confirmed more time was needed to get the game in tip-top shape. In August 2022 this was pushed a little further forward to the current release date with the developer stating on Twitter (opens in new tab) that it needs “a little more time to deliver the best possible game experience.”
Hogwarts Legacy trailers
Voice actors announced!
On January 11, 2023, the Hogwarts Legacy Twitter account revealed some of the faces behind prominent characters in the game. Perhaps most noticeable is Simon Pegg, who will play the Headmaster of Hogwarts.
Join Simon Pegg as he dives deeper into the world of Hogwarts Legacy and shares what it was like portraying Headmaster Phineas Nigellus Black. #HogwartsLegacy pic.twitter.com/FDXV6jg8f6January 11, 2023
Gameplay showcase 2
On December 13, 2022, Avalanche showed off a second gameplay showcase for Hogwarts Legacy. In it, players were given a first look at unforgivable curses including Avada Kedavra. The Dark Arts Battle Arena looks to be locked to the Deluxe Edition of the game, and allows players to test out spells early. Check out the showcase below for a look at broomstick flying and Hippogriff exploration.
Making the music
Towards the end of 2022, Hogwarts Legacy released a ‘Making the Music’ trailer. This shows how the music was created for the game. The team chats about striking a balance between new themes that evoke nostalgia for Potter fans, and how it incorporated it for the gameplay loop present in the game.
Gameplay Showcase trailer
The official Hogwarts Legacy Twitter account announced a gameplay showcase for the game earlier this year. It took place on Friday, November 11, 2022.
The Haunted Hogsmeade Shop
During Sony’s September 2022 State of Play conference, we got our first look at the PlayStation exclusive quest, The Haunted Hogsmeade Shop.
“Madam Mason has a Hogsmeade shop to sell – but there’s a catch. Uncover what lies beneath this haunted shop during a PlayStation exclusive quest. Watch your step – not everyone who enters is able to escape the darkness,” the blurb states:
You can get a sneak peak of this below:
Dark Arts
A fresh trailer dropped during Gamescom Opening Night Live 2022, giving us a look at the game’s darker side. Don’t expect to be spared any difficult choices as you encounter Dark Magic in Hogwarts Legacy.
ASMR magic
Ahead of Hogwarts Legacy’s appearance at Gamescom 2022, Avalanche Software released an ASMR video which features 4K footage of “a hot summer day” at various locations around the game world.
Next-Gen Immersion trailer
A new trailer from PlayStation is giving us some glimpses of Hogwarts Legacy in action while detailing all of the ways the game will take advantage of the PS5 hardware to increase player immersion. We’re talking DualSense support, 3D audio and 4K visuals.
State of Play gameplay
In March 2022, a PlayStation State of Play dedicated to Hogwarts Legacy showed eager fans 14 minutes of gameplay on the PS5. Covering everything from character creation and combat, to classes and exploration, the gameplay is the best look at Hogwarts Legacy we’ve had so far.
Reveal trailer
The first Hogwarts Legacy trailer was shown off at Sony’s September 2020 PS5 price and release date reveal. It gave us a peek at the game’s environments, with fantastical creatures, plenty of wand-action, and hints at a mysterious power that your character holds…
Hogwarts Legacy story and setting
Hogwarts Legacy is an RPG set in an immersive, open-world. Taking you to the wizarding world of the 1800s, Hogwarts Legacy is creating some distance between itself and the familiarity of the books and films but fans of the Harry Potter series have been assured that the game will be “firmly rooted in the Harry Potter universe”. The developer says it’s aiming to “chart new territory by creating fresh ways for fans to immerse themselves in the wizarding world”.
There’s an original main story that runs through Hogwarts Legacy, just in case you were worried that the game would let you loose in the school with absolutely no adventure whatsoever.
According to a post on the PlayStation Blog (opens in new tab), you will start at Hogwarts in your fifth year, coming to the school after surviving some kind of mysterious incident. Your character apparently has “ties to an ancient magic” which will “put you on a collision course with a goblin rebellion led by Ranrok, aided by his alliance with the Dark wizard Victor Rookwood, who both present formidable threats to the entire wizarding world.”
According to the post, Ranrok “has seen a glimmer of a magic that wizardkind tried to hide – even from themselves – and he wants that power in particular. His worldview is skewed by his hatred of wizards, which makes his alliance with Victor Rookwood particularly tenuous. Once Ranrok gets what he wants, no one will be able to stop him and the wizarding world will be doomed.
Hogwarts Legacy gameplay
As confirmed in an official FAQ (opens in new tab) for Hogwarts Legacy is an entirely single-player experience with no online or co-op modes.
With that focus on the single-player experience, the game appears to be all about crafting your own personal adventure in the wizarding world. It’s no surprise, then, that you’ll create your own character in a character creator that seems to allow for a fair bit of customization, based what we were shown in the Hogwarts Legacy gameplay reveal.
According to a report from Bloomberg (opens in new tab), the character creator for the game will be trans-inclusive, with the report stating that sources “familiar with the game’s development” have revealed that the game will allow players to customize their character’s body type, voice and gender placement for school dormitories.
Once you’ve created your character and selected your house, there’ll be classes to catch up on and new friends to make. To add an extra layer to the social aspect of the story, you’ll nurture those connections, with your magical new pals able to teach you abilities and act as companions on quests and adventures.
During school hours, you’ll be learning and casting spells and charms, brewing potions, and attending a host of classes so you can graduate alongside your classmates.
The new spells and abilities that you learn from your professors and fellow students will be useable in combat and in puzzles through the wider game world. The range of spells that you learn will allow for choice when it comes to combat styles. Players can, for example, go in “all wands-blazing” or cast a Disillusionment charm for a more stealthy approach. “Different techniques will be required to counter enemy strengths and weaknesses that should make every encounter feel engaging.”
The spells you learn won’t necessarily just be the nice kind, either. Like any talented Hogwarts student, you’ll face the temptation of powerful dark magic and unforgivable curses, with a trailer shown during Gamescom 2022 giving a taste of the difficult choices you’ll have to make.
In your down-time, you can explore the school, from iconic locations you’ve seen in the films to secret passageways that contain puzzles for you to solve. There’s even a few locations we’ve not seen in the movies, like the Hufflepuff common room.
On that note, if you’re worried about which House you’ll be sorted into, don’t be. You’ll be able to choose for yourself. The Hogwarts Legacy official website reveals that players can choose their House at the start of the game. Although we don’t know how the choice will be made, or whether houses will be able to be changed later on down the line.
Another feature that ties into your late start at Hogwarts is the Room of Requirement. Here you can grow plants for ingredients, brew potions, upgrade gear and more. You even have your own House Elf to do your bidding. To top that all off, you’ll have a menagerie where you can keep the various magical creatures you’ll run into throughout the course of the game.
See, you’re not just limited to Hogwarts in your travels; you’ll be able to visit the neighboring village of Hogsmeade, as well as a smattering of other hamlets speckled throughout the countryside. These locations are populated with NPCs and side quests you can dig into at your leisure, with dynamic seasons and climates to really bring them to life.
As far as visuals are concerned, on PS5 the game will run at 4K and you’ll be able to choose between Performance and Fidelity modes, with the former prioritizing frame rate while the latter leans into visual fidelity.
For audio, the game takes advantage of the console’s 3D audio capabilities, with the promise of “additional immersive sounds through the DualSense controller speaker, like the soft flap of a Hippogriff’s wings and effects of each spell you cast” for those not using headphones.
Finally, the PS5’s SSD should mean “quick loading times no matter how you choose to move from place to place, whether you take the scenic route on a broom or fast travel via the Floo Network.”
Hogwarts Legacy editions and pre-order bonuses
Hogwarts Legacy is now available for pre-order and you have three editions to choose from: Standard, Deluxe and Collector.
Pre-order bonus
Before we dig into what each edition offers, it’s worth noting that all pre-orders come with an Onyx Hippogriff Mount, while those who pre-order on PlayStation will also get a Felix Felicis potion recipe.
Standard Edition
The Standard Edition is, well, pretty standard – you’ll get the base game and that’s it. Well, unless you’re buying the Standard Edition for a PlayStation console, in which case the developer has confirmed on Twitter (opens in new tab) that you’ll also get an exclusive quest.
Deluxe Edition
The Deluxe Edition offers a little more than the Standard Edition, as you’d expect given it’s more expensive. In the Deluxe Edition you’ll get:
- 72 hours early access
- The Dark Arts pack, which includes the Thestral Mount, the Dark Arts Battle Arena, the Dark Arts Cosmetic Set and the Dark Arts Garrison Hat
For those buying on PlayStation and Xbox, this version will include both the last and current-gen digital versions of the game. PlayStation players will get that additional exclusive quest, too.
If you pick up the Standard Edition but decide you’d quite like that Dark Arts pack, the developer confirmed on Twitter (opens in new tab) that you’ll be given the chance to purchase it separately in-game, with this being the only item for purchase in-game.
Collector’s Edition
The Collector’s Edition is the most expensive option and in addition to coming with everything in both the Standard and Deluxe editions, it has:
- A life-size figurine of a floating magic wand with a book base
- A steel case
- Kelpie Robe (cosmetic DLC)
Hogwarts Legacy news and rumors
Cross-save will not be included
In the run-up to the release of Hogwarts Legacy, many of the developers working on the game have been revealing further aspects of how it’ll work at launch. Unfortunately, a reply from WB Games Support on Twitter confirms that Hogwarts Legacy will not support cross-save. Your rewards will carry over between platforms, likely this means cosmetic items and sign-in bonuses, but your save data will stay on the platform you are playing on.
Hi, thanks for contacting us about Hogwarts Legacy! You will be able to link both platforms for rewards in each version of the game, but save data will stay on the platform it was created on. We hope this helps!January 13, 2023
PlayStation exclusive content
Those who pick up the PlayStation version of Hogwarts Legacy will be getting some exclusive content, Avalanche Software has revealed.
In a Twitter thread, the official Hogwarts Legacy account revealed that “All PlayStation editions will come with the Exclusive Quest”, with no need to pre-order to get it. Those who do pre-order on PlayStation, though, will also get the “Felix Felicis Potion Recipe”. Hogwarts Legacy community manager, Chandler Wood, also used Twitter (opens in new tab) to clarify “PlayStation players get an exclusive quest, and PlayStation pre-orders get the Felix Felicis potion recipe”, adding there’ll be “more information on these soon.”
A peek at the UI?
Hogwarts Legacy fans have been looking closely at the gameplay revealed during the March Sony event and they might have caught a glimpse of the game’s UI in a brief few frames.
As posted to the HarryPotterGame subreddit (opens in new tab), menu elements with what appear to be four equipped spells and potentially a mini map appear for only a few seconds. It’s highly likely that what’s shown is placeholder UI given the game is still in development.
However, we can maybe glean some of the spells that you’ll be able to use in the game from what’s shown. Based on the images in the UI, the spells equipped by the players appear to be Wingardium Leviosa, the levitation spell; Accio, the object retrieval spell; and Lumos, the light spell.
No microstransactions
It’s been confirmed by Avalanche Software that Hogwarts Legacy will not contain any microtransactions. This is stated explicitly in an FAQ (opens in new tab) for the game, which says “Hogwarts Legacy does not have in-game purchases or micro-transactions” but it has been re-iterated by Avalanche Software’s community manager, Chandler Wood, on Twitter.
“We’ve seen this question coming up and want to set the record straight,” Wood said. “There are no microtransactions in Hogwarts Legacy.”
We’ve seen this question coming up and want to set the record straight.There are no microtransactions in Hogwarts Legacy.March 17, 2022
JK Rowling doesn’t have much involvement, apparently
According to the Bloomberg report, Rowling doesn’t have much involvement in the game’s creation and the game’s official FAQ (opens in new tab) states while the game “is inspired by J.K. Rowling’s Wizarding World”, the author “is not directly involved in the creation of the game.”
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