Hogwarts Legacy, the upcoming open-world RPG set in the Harry Potter world, appears to be facing serious development issues. The behind-the-scenes troubles are apparently so severe that the game is set to be delayed beyond its current 2022 release window.
First announced during the PS5 Showcase in September 2020, Hogwarts Legacy was originally confirmed for a 2021 release. However, in early January and developer Avalanche Software confirmed the game had been moved back to 2022. Now it appears Hogwarts Legacy has been delayed further into 2023, according to one industry insider.
Colin Moriarty, previously of IGN and now the host of the popular Sacred Symbols podcast, noted on the show’s latest episode that “[Hogwarts Legacy] isn’t coming out this year” and that the game is “in some sort of trouble.” Moriarty’s industry sources are usually pretty reliable, so this information seems to be more than pure speculation.
While passionate Potterheads will no doubt be disappointed at the news, the writing did seem to be on the wall with this one. After debuting a well-received announcement trailer in 2021, Hogwarts Legacy has gone dark for the last 15 months. During that time fans have been desperate for additional information but none was forthcoming. In fact, the game’s official Twitter account hasn’t directly posted since November 2020.
Currently very little is known about Hogwarts Legacy. It’s been confirmed that it will be an open-world title that allows you to create your own character and explore famous locations from the Wizarding World. It will also apparently offer an inclusive character creator as an answer to Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling’s widely criticized comments on transgender people.
More information about the title was expected in early 2022, though perhaps if this claim of a further delay is true the wait will be extended several more months. We suggest rebooking your Hogwarts Express ticket, it looks like our adventure to the famous school of witchcraft and wizardry could be further away than anticipated.
In the meantime, those itching for some magic can still enjoy the Harry Potter reunion special on HBO Max, not to mention rewatching the Harry Potter movies for likely the tenth time. Even if Hogwarts Legacy does slip into 2023, we are guaranteed one slice of the Wizarding World at the very least as Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore is set to hit theatres in April.
