Hogwarts Legacy, a game based around the Harry Potter universe, is coming out next month on the 10th. Some people are excited about it, especially fans of the Harry Potter franchise. There is one main issue with anything Harry Potter-related these days. Over the last few years, J.K. Rowling’s views on transgender people have seen the light of day, and it’s something we can’t ignore. Some people are saying “separate the art from the artist.” However, because of the harm Rowling has caused to trans people and the fact that she’ll be seeing money come out of this, I don’t think buying it can be justified.
if you think boycotting hogwarts legacy will hurt devs & not rowling you severely misunderstand video game production
devs get wages to make a game, rowling makes royalties on sales
so if it flops, devs already have their money, but rowling’s gains less for her anti-trans fund
— corry will 🛸 (@notcorry) January 11, 2023
Some people might go “Well if this doesn’t affect me, then it’s okay.” I’m not sure whether to call it selfish or not, but it’s clear that they aren’t thinking about the people they care about. They might not realize that supporting her product is a slap in the face for them. Everything trans people have fought for is gone all because people want to play a game a person with transphobic views will profit from, thus holding her power. I’ve had a few friends over the years that I can’t talk to the same again because of stuff like this. They make comments that they think are jokes but don’t realize what they might be tolerating. Because people of higher power say stuff like this, others will think it’s okay to be discriminatory in some way.
If you still want to get the game, by all means, go for it. I can’t stop you from enjoying things you like. Personally, I can’t support the game or even the Harry Potter franchise any further. The things that J.K. Rowling said made quite an impact on her legacy. I used to think of her as a great author who has written books with great lore. Now I see her as an author who has immortalized her discriminatory views. If there are people you care about, don’t support Hogwarts Legacy when it comes out.