2023’s most highly-anticipated game has already been determined, less than a week into the year.
Gamers are already lining up to try their hands at the latest Harry Potter game, despite consistent controversy surrounding the upcoming title. Its connections to Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling and her trans-exclusionary views are giving some gamers pause, but many fans can’t wait to test out its robust magic system for themselves.
Rowling, for her part, maintains as controversial an online presence as ever. Even as gamers weigh their excitement against a responsibility to support trans people, Rowling is working hard to ignore negative news from her digital publisher. A major drop in profit isn’t likely to impact the author much, but its still an embarrassing look.
An entire fantasy world away, The Witcher fandom is leaning on the games, as the Netflix adaptation continues to deliver disappointment after disappointment. Its aim to finally expand on the Wild Hunt in season three is heartening, but fans of the video games have little faith that the show will do the group justice.
What exactly is the Wild Hunt, and why is it so fixated on Ciri?
The Wild Hunt was officially introduced in The Witcher’s second season, but the spectral riders are set to get far more screen time in season three. The dangerous antagonists have been fixated on Ciri from the very beginning, and season three promises to deliver on their growing threat. Their origins — in the books and games, as well as Scandinavian folklore — are rich, and provide plenty of material for Netflix to pull from.
Hogwarts Legacy is already in high demand
Controversy has surrounded Hogwarts Legacy since nearly the beginning, but that doesn’t appear to be damaging the game’s prospects much. The highly-anticipated title is already topping lists of 2023’s biggest games, as it sells out across the country. Gamers are absolutely flocking to the title — despite concerns of supporting J.K. Rowling and her trans-exclusionary views — and Hogwarts Legacy already looks to be one of the most-played games of the year.
J.K. Rowling leans on Twitter to avoid addressing negative Potter news
Speaking of Rowling, the Harry Potter author’s star has plummeted since her heyday at the forefront of fantasy. She’s still riding high on the massive returns of her flagship property despite consistent backlash, but her publishing company hit some roadblocks in 2022. Pottermore, the digital publisher for Rowling’s Wizarding World, suffered a 40% profit drop last year, but Rowling did her best to present an unconcerned persona to the public. She lightheartedly tweeted the day away, as news broke, discussing her writing process and carefully ignoring all the negative news.