Since the release of Hogwarts Legacy there has been a shadow looming over the game with anyone that dares to play it. Although JK Rowling, the Author of the Harry Potter book series, is not directly involved with the game in any way due to the horrible statements she has made opposing Trans rights, there have been numerous boycotts surrounding her works in the Harry Potter franchise.
Hogwarts Legacy includes a trans character but fans were quick to dismiss this as a way to stave off backlash. The root cause of these protests stem from the fact that they believe JK Rowling gets a cut of the sales from sold copies of Hogwarts Legacy. Rowling does in fact get royalties from anything that makes use of the Harry Potter IP, and Hogwarts Legacy is included in this along with books, movies and theme park ticket sales.
While some groups boycotted the game by advising people not to purchase Hogwarts Legacy and telling others about Rowling’s misdeeds and stance against the trans community, others are taking more drastic measures by targeting streamers on Twitch that broadcast their playthrough of the game. A Dexerto article mentions how a new website was created that shows users who have streamed the game. The website created by Sam Gibbs titled “have they streamed that wizard game” allows Twitch viewers to see how many times streamers have streamed the game. The website faced backlash by people who believe it puts those who have played the game in the crosshairs of boycotters that will harass, dox and spread hate to their community. The site has since been taken down.
Twitch streamers have also begun boycotting the platform over Hogwarts Legacy ads. In an article written by Dexerto, transgender streamers along with Twitch Ambassador Nikatine were outraged by Rowling’s IP being advertised on the site regardless of her noninvolvement in it’s creation. Rowling still makes profit from these ads and therefore many streamers will be taking a break from streaming until the ad campaign is over.
In another act of protest boycotters have taken to spoiling key plot points and the ending of Hogwarts Legacy, An article written by the Daily Dot writes how “trolls” are copying and pasting the ending on social media. This has been seen as a way to halt sales and to let people know that Hogwarts Legacy is unwelcomed on social media. This form of protest is very much reminiscent of old Harry Potter spoilers from years ago such as the “Snape Kills Dumbledore” meme.
These protests have reached stressful tipping points for some YouTubers and game reviews who claim to be victims of harassment. One case is game reviewer “Girlfriend Reviews” who posted a video documenting their experience being harassed and criticized for reviewing the game on Twitch. As quoted from The New York Times, the couple emphasized that they “had not paid for the game and were raising money for the Trevor Project, a suicide prevention group for L.G.B.T.Q young people.”
The mix of controversy has made it difficult to talk about the game without mentioning the elephant in the room. I do believe that protesting a game because of the author is a valid reason to boycott, however it does raise ethical concerns for those who are simply doing their job and do not deserve to be harassed.
