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Yet Another Reason Hogwarts Legacy Is So Problematic
J.K. Rowling’s transphobia isn’t the worst part of Hogwarts Legacy. That might be a surprising argument coming from a trans woman, but hear me out.
I’m a big believer in judging media by its content, so it’s only fair to allow Hogwarts Legacy the same courtesy. And here’s the thing: as far as I can tell, the game itself doesn’t have any transphobic content. In fact, Avalanche Software seems to have made an effort to represent trans people in a positive light. I suspect they did this specifically because they wanted to show that the Wizarding World could be trans-inclusive, and I applaud them for that.
The bigger problem is what else Avalanche wrote into the game.
One of the main premises of Hogwarts Legacy is that another Goblin Rebellion is brewing, and it’s your job as the game’s protagonist to stop it. From the way they’re described in their Harry Potter Wiki entry, the Goblin Rebellions are the Wizarding World’s version of a peasant or slave revolt. It’s your job as Hogwarts’ latest prodigy to defeat the leader of the rebellion before he gains control of an ancient mysterious form of magic that could devastate the Wizarding World.
Let’s be clear: Avalanche made a game about a rebellion by marginalised groups against an oppressive power, then put the player in charge of…
