Resetera, one of the world’s biggest video game forums, has permanently banned all discussions of Hogwarts Legacy over the ongoing controversy regarding Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling, PC Gamer reported Tuesday.
Rowling has received heavy criticism in recent years for her comments on the transgender community. While the Hogwarts Legacy‘s FAQ explicitly states Rowling has no involvement, many within the LGBTQ+ community are calling for a boycott of the game – mainly because she owns the Harry Potter franchise and receives residuals from all licensed projects.
On Sunday, Resetera general manager B-Dubs stated that discussing Hogwarts Legacy is strictly forbidden on the forum.
“After continued internal discussion, we began to start outlining the issues put forth by Rowling and the game in question and each time, and as we discussed it all, we kept coming back to the simple fact that Rowling is not only a bigot but is actively pushing, in her position as a wealthy and famous individual, for legislation that will hurt trans people,” B-Dubs said. “That she uses the influence and money gained from her success with Harry Potter to push transphobic legislation.”
“Therefore, the mod team has decided to expand our prior ban on promotion for the Hogwarts game to include the game itself,” B-Dubs continues. “There will be no [official thread] and no discussion of this game.”
Hogwarts Legacy is coming out on Feb. 10, 2023, for Xbox Series X|S, PC, and PS5 – which is getting some exclusive features. There are also Xbox One, PS4, and Switch last-generation ports coming, but not until later this year. There’s also an expensive collector’s edition up for pre-order.
Written by Kyle Campbell on behalf of GLHF.
