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The plot of Hogwarts Legacy was purposefully set in a time period where many pre-established characters from the Harry Potter franchise (such as Newton Scamander or Harry Potter himself) are not around. According to lead writer Moira Squier, this was done in order to provide the player with a unique world. As part of this, the writing team focused on creating a diverse collection of characters for players to potentially identify with:
However, while main characters from across the franchise are not present, selected minor characters (such as Nearly Headless Nick and Peeves the Poltergeist) are still present in the game.
"All the writing team got together and would pitch ideas. We wanted a diverse collection of professors, students, vendors in the shop, etc. People called upon their own experiences. Hopefully you play the game and see a character and go "That's like my sister", or an uncle, or anything like that. And we really wanted to tie it to the familiar world – so you'll hear there's a Weasley, a Rookwood… Professor Black is a known character as a portrait in the books, so fleshing him out, we really loved."
However, while main characters from across the franchise are not present, selected minor characters (such as Nearly Headless Nick and Peeves the Poltergeist) are still present in the game.
Time placement and character development:
https://www.wizardingworld.com/features/hogwarts-legacy-interviews-with-the-experts
Nick and Peeves' presence confirmed:
https://www.independent.co.uk/games/hogwarts-legacy-map-gameplay-b2082631.html
https://www.wizardingworld.com/features/hogwarts-legacy-interviews-with-the-experts
Nick and Peeves' presence confirmed:
https://www.independent.co.uk/games/hogwarts-legacy-map-gameplay-b2082631.html
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Hogwarts Legacy is notable for introducing the first transgender character in the Harry Potter franchise in the form of Sirona Ryan, the owner of the Three Broomsticks pub who outright tells the player that it took her classmates "a second to realize I was actually a witch, not a wizard". This drew attention as the creator of the Harry Potter franchise, J.K. Rowling, has generated controversy over the years by making comments that many have criticized as transphobic. It is worth noting that while she would receive profits from the game's sales leading many fans to boycott the game, she had no involvement in its development. In regards to the inclusion, the developers stated:
However, after the character was revealed, several fans further complained that the name Sirona Ryan rendered the inclusion of a transgender character tone deaf and continued promoting the boycott. The name "Sirona" originates from the Celtic goddess of healing and rebirth and is symbolized with imagery of snakes (animals that shed their skin) and eggs (where many birds, fish and reptiles among other animals emerge from after incubating). Despite being a feminine name, they claimed to perceive it as a male-presenting name due to that variant of the name containing and potentially being shortened to "Sir", while also pointing out that the surname "Ryan" was a masculine name and an anglicized form that was used instead of the less common authentic Gaelic name "Riain". This set up the name to appear as an unintentional pun: "Sir Ryan". Despite these complaints, the boycott turned out to be a failure as Hogwarts Legacy became commercially successful, selling over 12 million copies in its first two weeks of release and going on to sell double that amount by the end of 2023.
"The team felt that it was very important to create a game that is representative of the rich and diverse world of Harry Potter as well as the groups of people who play games, which includes the LGBTQIA+ community. We have a diverse cast of characters that players will encounter throughout the game.”
However, after the character was revealed, several fans further complained that the name Sirona Ryan rendered the inclusion of a transgender character tone deaf and continued promoting the boycott. The name "Sirona" originates from the Celtic goddess of healing and rebirth and is symbolized with imagery of snakes (animals that shed their skin) and eggs (where many birds, fish and reptiles among other animals emerge from after incubating). Despite being a feminine name, they claimed to perceive it as a male-presenting name due to that variant of the name containing and potentially being shortened to "Sir", while also pointing out that the surname "Ryan" was a masculine name and an anglicized form that was used instead of the less common authentic Gaelic name "Riain". This set up the name to appear as an unintentional pun: "Sir Ryan". Despite these complaints, the boycott turned out to be a failure as Hogwarts Legacy became commercially successful, selling over 12 million copies in its first two weeks of release and going on to sell double that amount by the end of 2023.
NME article:
https://www.nme.com/en_au/news/film/hogwarts-legacy-introduces-first-transgender-character-in-harry-potter-franchise-3394348
Forbes article:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/tylerroush/2023/02/11/hogwarts-legacy-amid-jk-rowling-controversy-charts-record-breaking-pc-release/
Clutch Points articles:
https://clutchpoints.com/hogwarts-legacy-controversial-sirona-ryan
https://clutchpoints.com/hogwarts-legacy-leads-in-twitch-viewers-and-steam-players-despite-ongoing-boycott
Sirona Wikipedia article:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sirona_(goddess)
Ryan surname history:
https://www.ancestry.com/name-origin?surname=ryan
Hogwarts Legacy sales:
https://www.statista.com/statistics/1374325/hogwarts-legacy-games-unit-sales-worldwide/
https://www.nme.com/en_au/news/film/hogwarts-legacy-introduces-first-transgender-character-in-harry-potter-franchise-3394348
Forbes article:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/tylerroush/2023/02/11/hogwarts-legacy-amid-jk-rowling-controversy-charts-record-breaking-pc-release/
Clutch Points articles:
https://clutchpoints.com/hogwarts-legacy-controversial-sirona-ryan
https://clutchpoints.com/hogwarts-legacy-leads-in-twitch-viewers-and-steam-players-despite-ongoing-boycott
Sirona Wikipedia article:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sirona_(goddess)
Ryan surname history:
https://www.ancestry.com/name-origin?surname=ryan
Hogwarts Legacy sales:
https://www.statista.com/statistics/1374325/hogwarts-legacy-games-unit-sales-worldwide/
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