TheHogwarts Legacysubreddit has reinstated a ban on all discussions aboutHarry Potterauthor J.K. Rowling. Moderators for the subreddit had been experimenting with ways to ease restrictions on the embargo that was put in place three years ago but have since experienced conversations that deviate too far away fromHogwarts Legacyitself.
One of the most anticipated games of recent history has been mired in bitter controversy ever since Rowling established herself as a figurehead for anti-transgender bigotry and rhetoric. Amidst fervent online discourse and debate surrounding whether purchasingHogwarts Legacyis transphobic,ResetEra recently banned discussionabout the game in its entirety, even for threads and posts where J.K Rowling is uninvolved. The significant step was justified by the fact that Rowling “uses the influence and money gained from her success withHarry Potterto push transphobic legislation,” and the forum did not wish to be a part of it in any capacity.
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It would obviously be challenging for theHogwarts Legacysubreddit to enact an identical policy, but the moderators have deemed it necessary toat least excise mentions of J.K. Rowling, whether they be positive, negative, or indifferent. A thread published on behalf of the moderation team justified the action with three points, the first being that the discussion of Rowling inevitably devolved into a breeding ground for bigoted language targeted towards LGBTQ+. Therefore, the policy is in the interest of both maintaining both their dignity and the subreddit’s longevity.
The second point called out fans who rally behind Rowling under the guise of “keeping things about the game,” accusing them of stilldiverting discourse away fromHogwarts Legacy. The justification was then concluded by stating that comments intended to troll, such as boasting about purchasing additional copies of the game purely to incite backlash, are against the already established rules and would be removed too. It makes clear that “defending JKR is not the purpose of this subreddit,” and blames those doing so for corrupting the dialogue more than her critics.
But the thread also acknowledged that some may feel genuinely conflicted about buyingHogwarts Legacyor interested to participate in good faith deliberation and thus directed them to do so in a Boycott + Ethics mega-thread, which will continue to be heavily monitored by the moderation team. Avalanche Software, the developer ofHogwarts Legacy, has tried its best to distance itself from the author but can likely only go so far before risking severe repercussions. Alan Tew, game director for the open-world title, has made it clear that from the perspective of the developers,Hogwarts Legacywas made for everyone.
Hogwarts Legacyis scheduled to release on February 10 for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S, April 4 for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, and July 25 for Nintendo Switch.
