The LGBT community is being torn apart by this video game set in the Harry Potter universe

VIDEO GAMES – More than 15 years after the literary phenomenon ended, the Battle of Hogwarts rages again. Days before the release of the long-awaited open world Harry Potter video game, the community of fans of the famous British wizard is more divided than ever.

Hogwarts Legacy: Hogwarts Legacy will be released in France on February 10 on PS5, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X, and PC. This new game is centered on the magical world of JK. Rowling made it possible to embody a Hogwarts student, a dream that more than one fan of the saga has dreamed of. However, most fans today seem to want to do everything they can to stop the game from releasing, with many calls for boycotts and actions to convince them not to buy it. And this despite the latter’s attachment to Harry Potter.

From a cult writer to a troubled writer

Revered for her book series and the legacy she left in the childhood of many readers, the British author has since alienated parts of her community, sensitive to issues of representation and respect for transgender people. Since 2019, several transphobic media outings by the 57-year-old author have turned fans away from the creator of the hero with the lightning scar. Like what is called a radical feminist “Terf” (to “trans-exclusive radical feminist”), the authors consider that trans women are not “real” women.

The general annoyance of fans at these comments denying the rights of trans people has even prompted Quidditch practitioners to change the sport’s name to Quadball, to avoid any association with JK Rowling in the Muggle world. .

And in the face of fan criticism for her divisive positions, JK Rowling seems unwilling to change anything, as evidenced by one of her most recent controversial statements, in response to the alienation of many fans from her novels. ” How do you sleep at night, knowing that you have lost a large part of the public who bought your book? “, asked a user on Twitter. Respondent response: I read my most recent copyright check and found the pain went away fast. »

How disgusted more than one Harry Potter fan must have been to continue following the release of ” Wizarding World”, the expanded universe envisioned by JK Rowling to expand the Harry Potter franchise beyond the original book and its big screen adaptation. This expanded universe, for example, through film franchises Fantastic Beasts… but also by video games Hogwarts legacy. A large portion of the game’s revenue goes back to its authors, which is claimed by studio Portkey Games “closely collaborate (…) on all aspects of the game”.

Calls for boycott

The release of the video game, in which every fan of the Harry Potter universe will be able to embody a customizable character and move freely through the corridors of Hogwarts, therefore poses a cruel dilemma for Potterheads, the name given to the fan community. universe.

And if some have removed the author’s name from his own book, hurt by his transphobic comments, let go Hogwarts legacy now pushing some people, especially LGBT, to ask for a direct boycott of this video game so as not to participate, even indirectly, in the fight that is defended by its creators. His latest book is a great example of this.

But even these calls for a boycott are divisive within the Harry Potter fandom, as some seek to blame gamers for buying the game. washington post citing in particular the testimony of a transgender fan of the literary saga, who made the choice to continue living out her love for the franchise, despite the author’s statements and possible accusations of transphobia for having pre-ordered the game.

” He doesn’t rule the wizarding world; it’s just his creation “, estimated Mitchell Burdett, 23 years. ” What we as fans, readers, observers, players decide to do with this world is completely separate from him or any beliefs he may have”.

One of the other arguments put forward by JK Rowling’s critics, apart from the question of transphobia: anti-Semitism which allegedly underlies the antagonist of this game’s scenario. Borrowing from a cliché to represent the Goblin, a cold and greedy creature, with an aquiline nose, working at Gringotts bank. The Star of David is also seen from the first film, on the famous goblin bank. The disturbing details were recently revealed by the magazine Forbesand that seems to hold Hogwarts legacy.

Reddit screenshot

Over the years, Harry Potter fans have noticed the uncanny similarities between the goblins of the Harry Potter universe and the attributes used by anti-Semitism to describe Jews. Like in the first Harry Potter film, where the Star of David was hiding in the setting of Gringotts Bank.

Torn community

Thus, unrest remains before the game’s release, one of the most anticipated in 2023. And there are plenty of examples of this: the site ResetEra, one of the world’s largest video game forums – hugely popular in the English-speaking world – has for example opted to ban discussion around Hogwarts legacy the site, because of the author’s activism on gender issues.

” He actively pushed, through his position as the rich and famous, for legislation that would hurt trans people. He uses the influence and money earned from his success with Harry Potter to promote transphobia laws. Therefore, the team has decided to extend the ban on the promotion of Hogwarts games to the game itself.”shown Monday, January 23 ResetEra on its website.

Sebastian Croft, actor in an LGBT series heartwarming, who voiced a character in the video game, was forced to publish an apology on Twitter, facing protests caused by the announcement of his participation in the casting. Himself a fan of the magic universe, he apologized ” to everyone who has been hurt by this announcement “. The actor justified himself by explaining that at the time of his casting, three years earlier, he had not ” know JK Rowling’s opinion “.

” I wholeheartedly believe that trans women are women and trans men are men. “, his claim refers to his previous statement about “ Names-Which-Must-Not-/Most-Pronounced “, without forgetting to remember that” no LGB without T “.

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