Major gaming forum bans all mention of ‘Hogwarts Legacy’ due to J.K. Rowling’s anti-trans views

ResetEra, one of the world’s largest gaming forums, has banned all mention of Hogwarts Legacy due to Harry Potter author J.K. Rowlings’ reported anti-trans views.

Due for release next month, Hogwarts Legacy has already seen Warner Bros. Games try and distance the studio from Rowling, while Heartstopper actor Sebastian Croft apologised after the news he was set to voice of the game’s two playable characters was met with widespread backlash.

Following the announcement of Hogwarts Legacy, ResetEra banned all promotional activity for the game in 2021, including announcements, trailers and general hype threads.

It’s now been confirmed that ResetEra, “the internet’s premier video gaming forum destination” with over 50,000 members, will be extending that ban to cover all mention of Hogwarts Legacy.

A statement posted by ResetEra general manager B-Dubs on behalf of the moderation team reads: “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.”

“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,” it continued. Comments on the announcement were turned off.

The controversial Harry Potter game is set to launch February 10 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC. A Playstation 4 and Xbox One version will follow on April 4, while Nintendo Switch players have to wait until July 25.

However, many players are boycotting the game in protest of Harry Potter author J.K Rowling’s repeated anti-trans comments.

The lead actors of Harry Potter (Rupert Grint, Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson) were amongst those that have condemned her views.

According to the FAQs, Hogwarts Legacy has not been written by Rowling, though it does stay true to her “original vision”.

In other news, Mimimi Games, the team behind Desperados 3 and Shadow Tactics, has confirmed swashbuckling strategy game Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew – check out the first gameplay trailer here.