EDITORIAL: The Gaming Media Still Thinks Hogwarts Legacy Needs Saving From a Boycott That Never Happened

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I’m honestly baffled by some of the things I read in the gaming press. This week, *GameRant* actually published a piece telling *Hogwarts Legacy 2* how to avoid another supposed “boycott” like the first game faced. It’s just ridiculous when you consider *Hogwarts Legacy* sold over 34 million copies! It feels like they’re making things up as they go along.

No boycott stopped it. No controversy derailed it. The game was a monster success.

So why are journalists still pretending there’s a problem to solve?

The Myth of the Boycott

The claim that negative reactions on social media “ruined” *Hogwarts Legacy* and led to a boycott is a way for those who disliked the game from the beginning to justify their initial opposition. It lets them suggest that if people had agreed with them earlier, the game’s reception might have been different.

Despite online protests, the game *Hogwarts Legacy* didn’t see a drop in sales. While there was a lot of online anger – including hashtags, posts, and articles aimed at discouraging people from playing and even harassing streamers – it didn’t make a difference. *Hogwarts Legacy* was hugely popular on Twitch, stayed at the top of sales charts for months, and became Warner Bros. Games’ biggest launch ever.

If this is what it means to be boycotted, many studios would actually welcome it.

The Media’s New Strategy: Rewrite the Story

The media acknowledges the game’s popularity, but is now focusing on a different angle. They’re suggesting that while *Hogwarts Legacy* has been commercially successful, it’s still ethically questionable, and it’s up to the game’s creators to address these concerns in a way that satisfies critics.

GameRant criticized Avalanche Software’s portrayal of the transgender character Sirona Ryan in Hogwarts Legacy, calling it a superficial attempt at inclusivity. The article suggests that simply including a transgender character isn’t enough to counter J.K. Rowling’s controversial views, and that the game would benefit from more prominent and developed LGBTQ+ characters, potentially even a main character.

These days, gaming news outlets aren’t simply judging games; they’re almost trying to dictate what the next version should be like.

The Problem With This Logic

GameRant criticizes J.K. Rowling’s views, noting they come from her personal experience as a survivor of assault, and argues that the developers of the Hogwarts Legacy game, Avalanche, can’t fix the controversy surrounding her without further addressing issues of gender representation in the game.

There’s no proof that a lack of diverse representation negatively impacted the game’s success. Players could create characters of any gender and assign them the role of witch or wizard, regardless of their character’s body type. The game also featured characters like Sirona Ryan and showcased a more ethnically diverse Hogwarts student body than seen in the films, representing students from various backgrounds.

Players were free to create characters with any gender identity they chose, and those who preferred not to weren’t required to.

However, that wasn’t enough to satisfy the activists and game journalists who were determined to discredit the game.

And guess what happened despite their ire?

Despite calls for a boycott, players enthusiastically embraced *Hogwarts Legacy*. Interestingly, the addition of a single character meant to address concerns didn’t actually satisfy critics. It raises the question: what would it *take* to meet their expectations? A rigid set of requirements? Or perhaps a public discussion?

The real issue isn’t the game itself, it’s about power. Specifically, the desire to control what’s said, how it’s said, and what opinions are considered valid. The backlash stems from the fact that *Hogwarts Legacy*’s success demonstrated how little influence gaming media actually has on what players want, and how out of touch mainstream outlets are with their audience.

The Fans Already Moved On

Ultimately, *Hogwarts Legacy* became popular because it delivered a compelling adventure, let players explore a richly imagined magical world, and tapped into the enduring appeal of fantasy.

And that’s what players want again.

Look, as a movie (and game!) fan, I really think sequels just need to be *good*. They don’t need to reinvent themselves or try to tick all the boxes for some perceived social issue. And honestly, if fans are having fun, leave it alone! What I *want* is another fantastic experience that respects my intelligence as a player, not one that’s desperately trying to win over critics who were annoyed it did so well in the first place.

For a year, many gaming journalists predicted that *Hogwarts Legacy* would flop due to potential boycotts. That didn’t happen. Now, some of those same journalists are attempting to frame their inaccurate predictions as a matter of principle. However, the core issue is clear: the only people upset about the game’s success are those who initially predicted its failure.

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2025-10-14 14:57