Indie developer Unbroken Studios, in association with Warner Bros Games and Portkey Games, has announced it’s developing Harry Potter Quidditch Champions – a competitive multiplayer game based on the fictional sport of the same name that features in the Wizarding World. While this is, of course, an exciting revelation for fans of the franchise, it seems like quite the suspicious one for players enjoying Avalanche Software’s Hogwarts Legacy – a game infamously missing the sport.
Described as “a fast-paced, competitive multiplayer game featuring the world’s most iconic magical sport” in this broad FAQ on the upcoming release, Harry Potter Quidditch Champions is being presented to the world as a “complete, standalone Quidditch experience” where players can “create and customise their own Quidditch Champions” and go on “other broomstick adventures alongside friends”.
That all sounds pretty good, right? Well, if you’re a Wizarding World fan it does. But, if you’re someone who’s spent quite a bit of time roaming around Hogwarts Castle and the valley surrounding it in Hogwarts Legacy, you might be feeling a little bitter.
Now, we’re not saying this is true, but there’s a growing faction of Harry Potter fans online that seem convinced that Harry Potter Quidditch Champions is the reason behind the fictional sport of Quidditch being absent from Hogwarts Legacy; throughout the game’s narrative, references are made to the sport and it’s temporary banning by Hogwarts’ headmaster.
Albeit a self-proclaimed conspiracy theory, this Redditor’s discussion on whether Harry Potter Quidditch Champions is the reason why Hogwarts Leagcy didn’t have Quidditch is picking up steam. As you might imagine, the main reasoning behind the theory is quite simple: people may not have wanted to pay money for – or into – a standalone Quidditch game if Hogwarts Legacy shipped with the sport before.
However, ex-Hogwarts Legacy developer Troy Leavitt has taken to Twitter to suggest that this game was only greenlit after it was apparent that Quidditch wouldn’t be coming to the open world RPG. He does clarify that this is largely speculation, but it could very-well be true.
Surprisingly, though, the reaction on the whole isn’t quite as negative as you would expect. In fact, fuelled by the nostalgia of the 2003 Quidditch World Cup game, players are hoping that a title dedicated to the sport will deliver a more comprehensive experience than an additional mode tacked onto an open world game would.
However, as you can see in the Quidditch Champions reveal teaser below, the graphics presented to players is driving some concerns that this game isn’t going to be quite as complex as players are hoping – given the promise that this is a competitive multiplayer experience, after all.
We’ll just have to wait and see, though, what this game really looks like. With any luck, we’ll know more soon – maybe even around when the Hogwarts Legacy PS4 release date is set for. But, don’t bank on that; we still think this game is a little ways away.
Either way, if you’re interested in playing, there are some limited playtests planned for the end of April 2023. So, you can check out the Harry Potter Quidditch Champions playtest registration here for more information – and a chance to get hands-on with this title.
This Quidditch game is coming to consoles and PC, but specific platforms haven’t been announced just yet. In addition to this, a release date hasn’t been set – so, don’t expect this to drop anytime soon. Will it be one of the best PS5 multiplayer games and best Xbox Series X games out there when it drops? We’re not sure; if it is coming to those platforms, it might be worth checking out if you’re a Harry Potter fan.
Hogwarts Legacy has drawn considerable criticism during its development, largely due to the fact that the creator of the Harry Potter series, J.K. Rowling, has made a number of transphobic remarks on social media in recent years.
While Avalanche has confirmed that J.K. Rowling is not “directly involved” in the development of Hogwarts Legacy, it is working with “her team” and Portkey Games, a Warner Bros. label dedicated to launching new experiences inspired by J.K. Rowling’s original stories. It is currently unclear whether she will earn any royalties from the game’s sale, but it is likely given it is based on her original body of work.
If you would like to learn more about transgender rights or lend your support, we’d encourage you to check out the National Center for Transgender Equality in the US and Mermaids in the UK.