Harry Potter Video Game to Allow Transgender Characters Following J.K. Rowling Controversy

Leia IdlibyMar 2nd, 2021, 2:02 pm
 

Rob Stothard/Getty Images

The upcoming Harry Potter video game Hogwarts Legacy will reportedly allow players to create transgender characters — granting users with the ability to customize their character’s body, voice, and gender identity.

The decision comes after the franchise’s creator J.K. Rowling faced intense scrutiny and backlash after making several comments that many, including Harry Potter stars, deemed as transphobic and insensitive.

“Hormone prescriptions are the new anti depressants,” one tweet read. “Yes they are sometimes necessary and lifesaving, but they should be a last resort. Pure laziness for those who would rather medicate than put in the time and effort to heal people’s minds.”

Rowling also mocked a headline that used the phrase “people who menstruate” instead of “women” — prompting many to point out that she was ignoring the transgender and non-binary communities by insinuating that women are defined by their menstrual cycles.

Rowling additionally penned a lengthy response to the backlash, which did not include an apology for her remarks, and attempted to explain and clarify her stance. 

Hogwarts Legacy is currently set for a 2022 release from publisher Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment Inc. and developer Avalanche Software, according to a Bloomberg report.

Players will reportedly choose their character’s voice regardless of what their body looks like, and will be able to place their character in whichever school dormitory they believe best fits their character’s gender identity.

Although the decision to include transgender characters is a noteworthy step in the right direction, activist and writer Charlotte Clymer pointed out that Rowling will “still presumably receive profits from video game sales.”

You know, this would be really cool were it not for the fact that J.K. Rowling still presumably receives profits from video games sales,” she tweeted on Tuesday. “So, unless that’s confirmed otherwise, trans representation in a Harry Potter game doesn’t feel great to me. Money to Rowling? No thanks.”

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