Hogwarts Legacy is finally out there in the world, but while first reviews have been mostly very positive, that hasn’t done anything to rescue the high-profile Wizarding World video game from the controversy that’s been surrounding it since Day One. With Harry Potter creator J.K. Rowling continuing to openly spout her anti-trans views online, many fans are taking a stance against the release and maintaining a boycott.
For those not aware, the logic of the boycott is that, despite Rowling not being actively involved with the game, every purchase undeniably still goes someway to funding her already bloated cultural cache and therefore tacitly supporting her transphobic tirade. While Rowling has yet to directly address her opinion on the Legacy boycott movement, we can guess how she might respond, as the author has already made abundantly clear that she doesn’t care about the people she’s put off from her works — in what struck many as the most obnoxious way possible.
In October 2022, one disappointed Potterhead asked Rowling the totally valid question, “how do you sleep at night knowing you’ve lost a whole audience from buying your books[?]” In a truly jaw-dropping move, Rowling decided that the best play here was to take the Rainier Wolfcastle from The Simpsons approach and state that her multi-million dollar fortune assuages any moral guilt she might feel.
“I read my most recent royalty cheques and find the pain goes away pretty quickly,” she wrote.
Yes, apparently Rowling’s so far gone at this point that she’s happy to brag about being richer than Gringotts to us mere poverty-stricken muggles. Those leaning towards buying Hogwarts Legacy will perhaps take this as a sign that the boycotts are ineffectual so they might as well enjoy the game. That’s their prerogative, but for those determined to stay the course, don’t be downhearted. Ironically, Rowling’s own stories taught us that we should stand by our convictions, even in the face of unrepentant individuals.
