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Hogwarts Legacy how to pick locks, lockpicking explained

Knowing how to pick locks in Hogwarts Legacy is a great skill to have, though you’ll need lockpicking explained to get through the challenging minigame.

Hogwarts Legacy how to pick locks, lockpicking explained: Mr Moon, the Hogwarts caretaker who will teach you Alohomora to unlock doors and chests.

Hogwarts Legacy is full of nooks and crannies to explore, from Hogwarts to Hogsmeade and the hills beyond. One thing you’ll frequently come across though is locked chests and doors which require you to complete a finicky lockpicking minigame. To help you out, we’ve prepared a Hogwarts Legacy lockpicking, how to pick locks guide that will explain lockpicking to get you through any locked door.

For more ways to excel in your first year at Hogwarts, you’re going to want to know more about Hogwarts Legacy Talents and how to earn Talent points, as well as how to unlock all spells in Hogwarts Legacy. Alongside being adept at how to pick locks in Hogwarts Legacy, you’ll be well equipped to take on the hardest challenges. This answer and guide is based on our playthrough for our Hogwarts Legacy review.

Hogwarts Legacy lockpicking explained

In Hogwarts Legacy lockpicking is a mechanic that allows you to access closed off areas and rooms around Hogwarts and the surrounding areas. Once you have unlocked Alohomora from progressing the story, you’ll be able to do Hogwarts Legacy lockpicking and unlock doors through a minigame.

The Hogwarts Legacy quest you’ll want to complete is The Caretaker’s Lunar Lament, a quest involving Mr Moon, the caretaker you’ll meet for the first time on the way to Hogsmeade. After progressing through the story and reaching a certain milestone, the season will change to Autumn and this quest will be accessible. Once completed, you’ll be able to unlock level 1 locked doors and chests.

Lockpicking is a valuable skill in Hogwarts Legacy as there are plenty of collectibles, secret areas, and treasure chests containing gear and spellcrafts hidden behind locked doors and chests.

Hogwarts Legacy how to pick locks, lockpicking explained: The lockpicking minigame user interface.

Hogwarts Legacy how to pick locks

To pick locks in Hogwarts Legacy you need to complete a minigame in which you align a green and red spark in the correct positions so the cogs spin.

The lockpicking minigame is surprisingly hard in Hogwarts Legacy, especially as the in-game prompt doesn’t explain the mechanic all too clearly.

Firstly, use the left and right stick (or Q and E on PC) to individually control the green and red sparks in the centre. You’ll want these sparks to slot into the colour coded cogs.

Next, turn each of them until the smaller cogs on the right of the screen start spinning. This means you’re on the right track. Once you’re on the right track, slow down and fine tune the dials until the sparks and cogs on the right light up.

If you’re still struggling with how to lock pick in Hogwarts Legacy, note that you can do the cogs one at a time, though you will have to hold the correct position until you’ve completed the lockpicking puzzle.
Additionally, while there are three different levels of lockpicking, the minigame remains unchanged so you’ll have plenty of time and opportunity to practise how to pick locks as you progress through the game and explore more of the world.

With lockpicking explained, you should now have a better understanding of how to pick locks in Hogwarts Legacy to open locked doors and chests withholding mysteries from your grasp. For plenty more tips, tricks, and guides, use our handy Hogwarts Legacy walkthrough to help you through your first year at Hogwarts.

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.