One of 2021's biggest game releases, Hogwarts Legacy, has been delayed by a year. We had expected the open-world Harry Potter RPG to launch on PS5, Xbox Series X, PS4, Xbox One, and PC before 2021 was out, but it now seems that the title will need a bit more time before the doors of Hogwarts can open.
Avalanche Software and Portkey Games, the developers of Hogwarts Legacy, said they would require more time to create the "best possible experience" for the game, which is set at the famed wizarding school (sorry, Durmstrang) in the 1800s, over a century before Harry Potter or his coterie of foes and allies even enter the picture.
pic.twitter.com/9zqii6DZLmJanuary 13, 2021
“We would like to thank fans from around the world on the tremendous reaction to the announcement of Hogwarts Legacy from our Portkey Games label,” the game's creators said, in a prepared statement on Twitter. “Creating the best possible experience for all of the Wizarding World and gaming fans is paramount to us so we are giving the game the time it needs. Hogwarts Legacy will be released in 2022.”
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You're delayed, Harry
Hogwarts Legacy is being developed by Avalanche Software, the team behind Disney Infinity (not by Avalanche Studios, which is behind the Just Cause franchise, and would likely make a very different game). The game is being published under the Portkey Games label, which is a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, and named after the franchise's magical teleporting 'portkeys'.
The game was first revealed in 2020, during the same PlayStation 5 event that saw Sony confirm the price and release date of its PS5 and PS5 Digital Edition consoles. The delay certainly pushes off one of the more anticipated titles of this year, though PS5 players in particular will have Horizon Forbidden West and Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart still to keep them busy.
Rumors of a Harry Potter RPG (originally expected to be called 'Harry Potter: Magic Awakened') first emerged back in 2018, when Redditor VapeThis Bro leaked footage of the game, claiming he was shown it as part of market research. Although the footage was quickly removed by Warner Bros, it was up long enough for fans to identify Hogwarts, various creatures and a character creator (via Eurogamer).
You can watch the game's trailer below:
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