Hogwarts Legacy developer Avalanche Software announced the cast of its upcoming wizarding RPG, but it’s not just actors’ names worth watching out for. New characters have been announced, offering a glance at what players can expect to encounter in the 19th-century take on the school of witchcraft and wizardry.
Among the new additions, Simon Pegg takes the center stage as Hogwarts Headmaster Phineas Nigellus Black. An ancestor of the original series’ beloved Sirius Black, the Slytherin headmaster will make for a different headmaster than we’re used to in the friendly if mysterious Dumbledore. The casting only adds to Pegg’s growing roster of appearances in popular fantasy media, including Doctor Who, Star Trek, and Star Wars. And that’s not the only returning name.
Voiced by Lesley Nicol (Downton Abbey), Professor Matilda Weasley joins the staff at Hogwarts as Deputy Headmistress. She’ll be teaching alongside Seer and Divination teacher Professor Onai, voiced by Kandace Cain, and the Muggle-born Astronomy professor Satyavati Shah (Sohm Kapila).
What’s more, we now know that players will be able to select between the voices of Sebastian Croft and Amelia Gething when creating their witch or wizard. Croft made his television debut in 2016 as Young Ned Stark in Game of Thrones, and recently starred as the bully Ben in Netflix’s queer teen romance Heartstopper. Gething wrote and starred in the eponymous BBC show The Amelia Gething Complex after gaining a following on social media for her acting and comedy.
Avalanche was also excited to announce Luke Youngblood, the actor of Potterwatch host and noted Quidditch commentator Lee Jordan, returns to Hogwarts as a Ravenclaw student alongside WandaVision star Asif Ali.
And voice actor Jason Anthony will voice Gryffindor’s resident ghost, Nearly Headless Nick, as well as the iconic Sorting Hat, originally voiced by the late Leslie Phillips in the films. Nearly Headless Nick, or Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington to be precise, was portrayed by John Cleese in the first two films.
Hogwarts Legacy launches on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC on Feb. 10. The game will also make its way to the PS4 and Xbox One on April 4 and Nintendo Switch on July 25.