There is good news about the Harry Potter video game Hogwarts Legacy. According to a new report, the game will allow for character creation that will allow transgender gamers to see themselves in the game, regardless of how they define themselves.
The news comes from Bloomberg's Jason Schreier, who has been tracking the game since it was just a rumor; according to Schreier's sources, users will be able to "create characters with masculine or feminine voices, regardless of their physical appearance He said.
Gamers will then decide their gender, Harry Potter-style. They choose one of two options, "witch" or "wizard," which determines whether or not they will be placed in a dormitory and "how they will be called by other characters in the game.
This seems to be an olive branch for fans who feel betrayed and disrespected by Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling's tweets about transgender people. For those unfamiliar with Rowling's statements, she has infuriated many in the transgender community and allies. For example, in December 2019, Loring spoke out in support of Maya Forstater, a tax specialist who was fired for transphobic language.
Potter stars Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson have publicly stated that their views differ from Rowling's.
This was not the only controversy surrounding the Hogwarts Legacy: in February 2021, journalist Liam Robertson revealed that a far-right YouTube video was produced by the game's lead designer, Troy Leavitt. Titles included "Pretty Polys: The Myth of the Male Gaze in Video Games," "In Praise of Cultural Appropriation," and "Social Justice Ten Commandments."
Hogwarts Legacy was originally scheduled to appear this year, but was delayed until 2021.
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