Following J.K. Rowling's controversial statements last year that were deemed transphobic, the development team of the next "Harry Potter" video game revealed that it would feature customization options allowing players to play as a transgender character.
"Hogwarts Legacy" is an action role-playing video game that is set in the 1800's wizarding world. It is being developed by Avalanche Software and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. It is set to be released in 2022.
Bloomberg said that a player of the video game would have the option to customize the character's voice and body type. The player would be able to create a character with a feminine or masculine voice regardless of gender, taking an option to be a "witch" or a "wizard." transgender character would also be added. The plan was initially declined but was later approved by the management.
The video game's development team laid the customization plan after Rowling threw some controversial comments about transgenders that offended many, including "Harry Potter" stars Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson.
Glamour revealed that the controversy started on June 6 last year, when Rowling reacted to an article that says "people who menstruate," taking issue that it did not use the word "women." Her tweet reportedly gained a lot of criticism but she did not relent and further explained her views in more detailed statement through a series of tweets the next day. She followed it by an article on her website, explaining her opinion.
Vulture said that that Avalanche and Warner Bros. Interactive "have attempted to find a middle ground between affirming Rowling's influence and quietly repudiating her prejudices." Their latest move was the planned customization of the characters.
David Haddad, Warner Bros. president, reportedly responded to an employee's concern over Rowling's statements and its effect on the company, saying, "She's entitled to express her opinions on social media. I may not agree with her, and I might not agree with her on a range of topics, but I can agree that she has the right to hold her opinions."
Warner Bros. Games also made a statement about Rowling's concern and her involvement in the creation of "Hogwarts Legacy," stating, "J.K. Rowling is not directly involved in the creation of the game, however, her extraordinary body of writing is the foundation of all projects in the Wizarding World. This is not a new story from J.K. Rowling."
Bloomberg further said that "Hogwarts Legacy" encountered another controversy last month, when the game's lead developer and Avalanche Software senior producer, Troy Leavitt, was revealed to have made a number of videos on YouTube criticizing "social justice" and feminism. Apparently, Leavitt was against the progressive cancel culture, and the "woke" do not like it.
Leavitt has announced his resignation from Avalanche Software. He promised to release videos providing details regarding his decision.
1. I have made the decision to part ways with Avalanche Software. I have nothing but good things to say about the game, the dev team, and WB Games.
2. I will be releasing a YouTube Video about this soon on my channel.
"” Troy Leavitt (@Troylus_true) March 5, 2021
Harry Potter is the third-highest grossing film series of all time with $7.7 billion in revenue and has sold 500 million books, introducing children to the world of witchcraft and sorcery -things that the Word of God prohibits Christians from dabbling in- and the upcoming video game adds transgender ideologies to the mix.
The idea about Harry Potter first occurred to Rowling in 1990, when her train from Manchester to London King's Cross was delayed.
