Being an ally to the trans community isn’t hard. The things we’re asking for are simple: listen to us when we talk, try and interrogate your own internal biases, and for the love of God, don’t put money into JK Rowling’s pocket.
It might seem simple enough to separate the beloved world of Harry Potter lore from its TERF creator. But realistically, folks who are still buying Harry Potter/Hogwarts merch, renting the movies, or engaging with Pottermore are absolutely giving money to someone who’s going to turn right around and give that money to anti-trans causes. And if you’d like a deep dive into the matter, we’ve got you covered.
Related: Here’s Why Your Trans Friends are Tired of Your Hogwarts House
It might seem hard then, at first, the abstain from the new Harry Potter RPG “Hogwarts Legacy”…that is, until you learn just how sh*tty the game actually is on every level.
Having seen gameplay from Hogwarts Legacy, THIS is what people are crying and rending their garments over being asked not to play? It’s shovelware made by hacks.
— Gretchen Felker-Martin (@scumbelievable) February 6, 2023
The graphics are bad, the story is boring, and no one is exactly impressed. But that didn’t stop one IGN reviewer from giving it a full-on rave.
“this game is broken, the main story sucks, and the enemies and side quests are all the same thing, but i can’t help but love my terf fantasy 😍”
games critics are so unserious 😭
— the morally corrupt juan barquin (@woahitsjuanito) February 6, 2023
The IGN Hogwarts Legacy review is one of the funniest pieces of games writing ever:
* This game barely works
* Inventory can hold four items
* There are two enemies
* The story and worldbuilding make no sense
* An inset about how the author is a bigot
* But I love Potter so 9/10— gem! (@TheGemAgenda) February 6, 2023
IGN’s review of Hogwarts Legacy is very weird because it reads like they wanted to give it a bad review but weren’t allowed to
— moby dickgirl (@[email protected]) (@epistemophagy) February 6, 2023
Indeed, it’s odd that this particular hill is the one folks are so willing to die on, considering that the game is pretty disappointing.
OK I hate to Hogwarts Legacy tweet, but help me understand something: why are cis people acting like it’s some kind of masterpiece they’d hate to miss out on? like even before we had gameplay clips, we knew it was being made by a Disney tie-in shovelware developer pic.twitter.com/Eqe0zXtIlq
— Callidora | in my yuriposting arc (@yuriposting) February 6, 2023
And for those getting all excited over the game’s new trans character…please sit down.
hogwarts legacy DLC schedule announced:
DLC 1- say hello to the first trans masc in the HP universe, Sherman’t Hoggless
DLC 2- greetings to our first bisexual character, Anita Tention
DLC 3- meet dobby’s nonbinary great grandmother, Sock https://t.co/FqwjbYNU64
— lauren (@NotABigJerk) February 6, 2023
Honestly, it feels like a troll.
Damn just saw gameplay of Hogwarts legacy for the first time. You cannot convince me that anyone would give a fuck about this game if trans people didn’t exist
— Leadhead (@LeadheadYT) February 6, 2023
That’s why trans folks are asking allies to kindly boycott the game (not too big of an ask since the game, by all accounts, sucks sh*t.)
Please do not buy/play/stream the harry potter game.
Stand with the communities begging you to put them and their lives first.I have compiled a list of alternative magic games to play. More will be added in the future, I just ran out of spoons half wayhttps://t.co/ri0HQPmF4o
— ZannahG (@zannahg) February 4, 2023
If you stream on twitch, please consider signing off on this and pausing while Hogwarts Legacy ads are running. It would mean a lot to solidarity as attacks on the community are at an all time high. https://t.co/Hsp9uCMVkQ
— Erin Reed (@ErinInTheMorn) February 5, 2023
Watching gaming outlets jump through rhetorical hoops to justify coverage on Hogwarts Legacy isn’t surprising, but it’d be more honest if they played it straight and just said “our shaky business model does not allow us to ignore any game that might sell 10 million copies.”
— Patrick Klepek (@patrickklepek) February 6, 2023
If you buy #HogwartsLegacy then you are perpetuating transphobia and should be ashamed of yourselves. Do not support the game, and do not line the pockets of a transphobe that is actively trying to hurt us. pic.twitter.com/idCHr717kb
— Negative Legend (@Negative_Legend) February 6, 2023
The final word on the subject:
If you’re going to buy and play hogwarts legacy you should at least be ashamed enough by that choice that you don’t post about it on social media
— Sam Greszes (@SamGreszes) February 6, 2023
Read More in Gaming
The Latest on INTO
