Hogwarts Legacy Tagged As Transphobic On Steam
As Avalanche Software (finally) gears up for the release of Hogwarts Legacy, the discourse surrounding the Harry Potter spin-off and its ties to author J.K. Rowling is only getting more heated.
While Warner Bros. Interactive has tried to distance itself from Rowling by saying she isn't directly associated with the title, that hasn't stopped critics from noting she'll likely receive some royalties.
Hogwarts Legacy is already topping pre-order charts on the likes of Amazon, while it's recently soared to the top of Steam charts too. Now, the game's listing on Steam is being trolled by those standing against rowling.
Why Is Hogwarts Legacy Being Tagged As Transphobic?
Steam lets you tag games with different categories, which has spectacularly backfired on Hogwarts Legacy. Transphobic and Transphobia were listed before being taken down. These were then replaced with more subtle ones like Villain Protagonist and Captialism.
One also listed Hogwarts Legacy as Genocide Simulator - obviously not the category the developer is going for. Then again, Transphobic Magical RPG would definitely be a new genre of gaming.
Tackling things before they got worse, Steam has also shut down the reviews on Hogwarts Legacy. Some managed to get through the net, with several stock reviews having the exact same glowing review.
There have been several public calls to boycott Hogwarts Legacy, but others think it's still okay to be an ally to the LGBTQ+ community and play the magical adventure. Lots are saying that if you want to play Hogwarts Legacy you should get it second-hand.
Either way, all the drama surrounding Hogwarts Legacy will only likely add to its sales. As both sides become more aggressive in their stance, the pre-order sales speak for themselves that Hogwarts Legacy could be one of 2023's biggest games.
Hogwarts Legacy Will Include Transgender Witches And Wizards
While Rowling herself has made her stance on transgender rights clear, Hogwarts Legacy has done the same in the opposite direction. WB Interactive has repeatedly confirmed there will transgender witch and wizard options in the game's impressive character creator.
Games like The Sims have offered limited versions of this for a while, but from what we've seen of Hogwarts Legacy, it will be much broader. Unfortunately, each delay only throws fuel on the fire about the issue of inclusion and Hogwarts Legacy.
We're not sure the arguments will ever die down, but in the meantime, it seems like Hogwarts Legacy is going with the mantra of no press is bad press. We'll keep our eye on Steam to see which debacle strikes the game next.