So my dad bought Hogwarts Legacy (and yes, we've discussed that choice multiple times, but that's not the point of this post), and I've been watching him play when I've had the time because why the fuck not, right? I will say that the game is visually pleasing, and you can tell a lot of care went into making the object models, but that is where my praise for the game starts and ends.
Near the beginning of the game, you meet a character named Natasi "Natty" Onai, a fellow fifth-year student who tells you about how she transferred to Hogwarts last year from Uagadou, the largest school of witchcraft and wizardry in the world. You then get the dialogue option to say, "Surely magic is weaker over there," Over there meaning in Uganda. That was the first "oh no…" moment I had while observing the game and the first of many indications that this game did not have as much diversity screening as it desperately needed. Understandably, giving the British player character a dialogue option to insinuate that magic is weaker in Africa left a bad taste in my mouth.
If (for some reason) you were seeking to defend the game, you could point out that the story takes place in the late 1800s (not that you can tell). However, considering the racially diverse population of students at Hogwarts and multiple openly queer characters, that excuse doesn't make much sense. It's like the game developers wanted the world to be diverse but didn't want to do any work making that diversity fit into their world convincingly.
As many people have pointed out, the main problem with the game is that the overarching plot is antisemitic. If (like me) you're not Jewish and don't know many Jewish people irl, the antisemitic elements of the game might not be immediately obvious to you, but that in itself is a huge problem. One of the most dangerous things about antisemitism is how pervasive and normalized it is.
The central conflict in the game is that goblins, who run the banks of the wizarding world (super mega giant antisemitic stereotype), are rebelling because wizards refuse to treat them as equals, WHICH IS A VERY VALID REASON TO CAUSE AN UPROAR. I don't think I need to explain why making an oppressed group fighting for equal rights the main antagonists of your story is a problem, but the game's writers clearly missed (or ignored) that fucking memo.
It is established in the first tutorial section of the game that the goblins are the "bad guys." However, there are some "good" goblins. These goblins are antiviolence and believe diplomacy is the proper way to achieve equal rights, even though we are given little to no indication that this diplomatic approach is making any headway. So yes, the game does go out of its way to imply that there is a correct way to advocate for your rights as a minority, which is to be complaisant and not do anything to disrupt the lives of your oppressors. I'm not joking. That seriously appears to be the narrative the game is pushing.
At one point in the game, you interact with a goblin named Arn after he gets mugged by the "bad" goblins for not supporting their cause. He tells you that the "bad" goblins stole a cart filled with his paintings, but since most goblins are metalworkers or work at Gringotts (the bank), they "have no appreciation for art" and will probably just throw the paintings away. Firstly, metalworking is an art, and secondly, OH MY GOD, THE GAME REALLY JUST IMPLIED THAT THE OPPRESSED MINORITY GROUP IS UNCULTURED. It's hard to be more explicitly antisemitic/racist than that.
Again, there are queer characters in the game. However, who the fuck cares? If antisemitic rhetoric surrounds the queer representation, then it's fucking useless to the queer community. There are ways to implement goblins into a fantasy world without making them harmful antisemitic caricatures. However, Hogwarts Legacy (and the Harry Potter franchise at large) does not achieve that in the fucking slightest.
Hogwarts Legacy is a bad game. Not necessarily mechanically or visually, but ideologically. Ignoring the fact that JK Rowling is a massive fucking cunt, trying to reclaim her IP while she's still breathing was a bad idea from the start, and Portkey Games fumbled the ball so fucking severely by failing the Jewish community with the story they created. People are using the game to show their support for transphobia and antisemitism. That should come as a surprise to nobody. Whatever good intentions the people behind the game went in with, they have nothing to show for it.
If you want to buy the game and play it on your own time and never speak about it online because you love Harry Potter SO much, that's your own business, and you can justify that choice however you want in your head. But if you are a publicly online (especially if being an online content creator is your job) and you play the game, people will justifiably criticize you.
The cost of nostalgia and affection for a franchise should not be endangering the lives of Jewish and trans people. My suggestion to you if you long to relive the feelings you had when you were young and in love with the magic of Harry Potter is to read some fucking fanfiction. Better yet, go and write your own! But from the bottom of my heart, I am begging you, do not give this game your time or money.
