What you need to know
- Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions is an upcoming multiplayer from Warner Bros. Games that is based on the fictional wizarding sports game.
- A recently leaked video shows off nine minutes of never-before-seen gameplay while playing as a Chaser.
- The roster and character customization options are also shown.
- The game has a very different art style from Hogwarts Legacy.
Earlier this year, Warner Bros. Games unceremoniously announced on Twitter that it was producing yet another game within the wizarding world following the massive success of Hogwarts Legacy. However, instead of being a single-player RPG, this upcoming title, known as Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions is going to be a multiplayer game that allows players to compete in the wizarding world's most famous sport — the titular Quidditch game that involves riding a broom and scoring points by hurling balls into hoops and catching the Golden Snitch.
Calling all Beaters, Chasers, Keepers, and Seekers! Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions limited playtest signups are live now! Sign up at https://t.co/E9cQekLOzV. #QuidditchChampions pic.twitter.com/AQhKfg4NKDApril 17, 2023
Warner Bros. Games hasn't really revealed much more regarding the game, but as of a couple of days ago, a roughly nine-minute video was leaked on Pixeldrain and it shows off actual match gameplay along with the character roster of recognizable Harry Potter characters (thanks, Insider Gaming). Additionally, the ability to customize characters was also included in the footage showing the ability to change clothing, body types, head shapes, skin tones, and more. The video was also leaked on YouTube, however, it has since been blocked on copyright grounds.
Since this is a leak and we're potentially several months out from the game releasing, it's very possible that many of the things shown in this video will be modified or changed completely before the game launches.
Unlike Hogwarts Legacy, which has a more subdued color palette and a more realistic art style, Quidditch Champions is far more colorful and features more cartoony takes on Harry Potter characters. We currently don't have a release date for Quidditch Champions, but the rumor is that the game is expected to release sometime in 2024. You can sign up for playtest registration for a chance to check out the game early at the official Quidditch Champions website.
Windows Central's take
The ability to play Quidditch was notably missing in Hogwarts Legacy, which released earlier this year. So it wasn't too surprising to learn that Warner Bros. Games had a dedicated Quidditch-focused game in the works. Only allowing people to play the broom-flying sport in one game reduces the chance of cannibalizing sales between the two titles.
It's hard to say as of yet whether or not Quidditch Champions will be a hit or a flop. However, the game mechanics do look a whole lot better than what we saw on earlier Harry Potter games that had Quidditch matches in them. I'm looking at you, Electronic Arts' Harry Potter games. Still, that's not surprising given that game mechanics have improved a lot since those games were released.
Still, there's plenty of Harry Potter hype, especially since Hogwarts Legacy did some record-breaking sales a few months back. So, I fully expect there to be a decent group of people eager to check this game out when it releases. We'll just have to wait and see if the mechanics are good enough to keep fans coming back for more.