Hogwarts Legacyis a dream come true for anyone who grew up with the adventures of the most famous wizard of all time, Harry Potter. The game allows players to create their own Hogwarts students, learn spells, and immerse themselves in its magical world.
Hogwarts Legacyis set in the 19th century, years before the events of theHarry Potterseries. Many people wonder if this makes the video game’s story mode part of the same universe, as the game being a prequel allows developer Avalanche Software to explore many untouched areas of the Wizarding World. Although there is some continuity betweenHogwarts Legacyand theHarry Potterfranchise, all signs point to the title being non-canon.
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Hogwarts Legacy is a Departure From The Canon
Hogwarts Legacyis not canon toHarry Potterdespite its strong ties to the lore. For starters, the events ofHogwarts Legacytake place in the 19th century, at least 100 years before the birth of The Boy Who Lived. The earliest confirmed canonicalHarry Potterwork is set in 1927, that beingFantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. TheHarry Potteruniverse has made it clear that it is willing to accept prequel content as canon as long as the stories and characters are consistent, but without JK Rowling being directly involved in the story, it is unlikely that the game will be considered canon.
The original series follows Harry on his journey to defeatLord Voldemortwhile becoming a powerful wizard in the process.Hogwarts Legacywill also take players on their own magical journey, only with a completely different cast of characters.
One of the biggestproblems with theHogwarts Legacy’s place in canon is, in fact, the main character. Not only are they created by the player, which means that the details of their appearance and actions will be different, but they apparently have quite a bit of importance in the Wizarding World. In addition, the ancestral magic players interact with so heavily has only been vaguely mentioned in previous works, with the game making a big deal out of minor aspects of the series' history for the sake of gameplay.
The players are still classified in different houses:Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin. And, although most of the characters that appear have not yet been introduced in the saga, the game features some old acquaintances such as the ghosts of Nearly Headless Nick and Professor Binns. However, they are an exception, as most of the cast consists of entirely new characters.
With the events of the game taking place in the 19th century, the intention is clear:Hogwarts Legacyaims to stand on its own, just like its characters.Hogwarts Legacyis accessible for everyone, even if they didn’t grow up with the earlier material. That said, fans of the series itself can expect to see many familiar things from the world they’ve known over the years, as Avalanche Software wanted to stay true to the canon of the franchise - even if that doesn’t make the game canonical by itself.
J. K. Rowling Is Not Involved In Hogwarts Legacy
As mentioned above, arguably the strongest indicator thatHogwarts Legacyis not canon is the fact that series creatorJ. K. Rowlinghas no direct involvement in the game. When it comes to what is considered canon, Rowling’s endorsement is certainly still a necessity, even if she has become a highly controversial figure.
Portkey Games and Avalanche Software have said that everything inHogwarts Legacyhas been largely inspired by Rowling’s works, but the game is a unique entity created specifically for fans by game developers who appreciate the depth of theHarry Potteruniverse. This is further backed up by the FAQ section ofHogwarts Legacy, where the developers have stated that the game is based on the original literature; however, the game isn’t a direct adaptation of the magical realm. Instead, it exists somewhere adjacent to the canon of the magical world, which it could technically be a part of, but where it doesn’t have a huge impact aside from the possiblesequels toHogwarts Legacy.
Hogwarts Legacyis available now for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S. Ports for PS4 and Xbox One will come out on April 4, and a Switch port will be released on July 25.
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