Hogwarts Legacy appears to be the biggest Harry Potter game to date, and that’s just when it comes to the game’s map. There will be dozens of quests to uncover, but many players will be excited to explore their favourite Harry Potter locations. We already know that Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley will be in the game, but what about the depths of Hogwarts itself? Well, we won’t be greeting the Basilisk just yet.
The Harry Potter franchise is full of locations we’d love to explore. Whether it’s Gringotts Bank or the Ministry of Magic’s headquarters, it’d be a blast to see them realised in-game. But what lies beneath Hogwarts itself for players? We’re closer than ever to the Hogwarts Legacy release date, and though there are still some mysteries to unravel, recent leaks seemingly confirm that the Chamber of Secrets won’t be accessible in the game.
The official Hogwarts Legacy artbook has been leaked online, and naturally, plenty of revelations have been noted by Potterheads. Hogwarts Legacy subreddit participator ‘BlackChamber007‘ says that “well, the Chamber of Secrets, unfortunately, didn’t make the cut.”
The Chamber of Secrets was the battleground for Harry Potter’s stand against Tom Riddle and his deadly Basilisk. Full of weaving tunnels and piles of bones, we wouldn’t want to be stuck down there too long.
Well [SPOILER] unfortunately didn’t make the cut from HarryPotterGame
According to the artbook leak, the Hogwarts Legacy design team clarifies that “there were some challenges with this [the Chamber of Secrets] and it was decided not to include it.” While its absence may have stemmed from a technical aspect, there is a solid reason that appeals to the wider Harry Potter lore: “We certainly wouldn’t want the player thinking they could kill a Basilisk that needs to still be there in 1992.”
Harry Potter himself would of course go on to defeat the formidable foe, using Godric Gryffindor’s sword to inflict the killing blow. The entrance to the Chamber of Secrets in the lore is found within the second-floor girl’s lavatory, where Harry, Ron, and Hermoine spend a considerable amount of time conjuring up potions in their second adventure. There could still be some easter eggs for players to find if the area features in-game.
Hogwarts Legacy is sure to be full of mysteries, but we can help solve some of them for you. Whether you’re wondering about the Hogwarts Legacy houses or all the Hogwarts Legacy characters, now is the time to get ready for your Wizarding World adventure.
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.