Hogwarts Legacy Boycotts Continues As JK Rowling Double Down

Hogwarts Legacy turned out to be a massive release. However, so was the backlash against the game due to comments JK Rowling made against the transgender community. While many might have forgotten about the anger against the game, online, the drama is far from over. With Hogwarts Legacy set to release on the Nintendo Switch, certain fans are once again expressing their displeasure with the game. With the original release of the game, there was a mass call for the game to get boycotted. However, it ultimately failed as it only railed up gamers to support it even more.

Those who were calling for the boycott were mostly online people who did not even game. They simply did not like JK rowling, heard about the game, and called on players not to support it. Actual gamers did not pay much attention to all the drama and played it regardless. The game did so well that a sequel is already in the works. As of today, 15 million copies have been sold, and over 1 billion dollars have been generated. That number will only continue to increase as the game releases on more platforms like the Nintendo Switch.

Despite the failure of the first boycott, protesters continue to call on gamers not to support Hogwarts Legacy. Just like the first attempt, it is doubtful that it will work a second time. It will likely only encourage people to support the game even more. If you do not like a game or what the creators stand for, it is best to move along and not play it. Calling for drastic actions will only lead to disappointment. As we all know, gamers do not like to be told what to do.

The Outrage Against Hogwarts Legacy

As with all things toxic, the drama started on Twitter or X. Some, and out of respect, I will refrain from calling them weirdos and just say people are back calling on fans to stay away from the Nintendo Switch port. While it is easy to dismiss these people, their voices are large and also loud. The call for a boycott was widespread and was dominating headlines. Sadly, even gaming journalists in prominent outlets were stating that they wouldn’t be supporting the game. While most of those voices have died down, some are still lurking and popping their heads out once in a while.

Currently, Twitter users are once again asking fans to attempt the boycott. The sentiment is that since it did not work the first time, maybe they can have a more successful attempt this time. Since sales on the Nintendo Switch won’t be as high, it will be easy for some to call it a victory. While this is not widespread, I did see a few people buy collectors additions to the game and then break it. All of this they do to get a bit of attention on the internet. I would advise that if you are against Hogwarts Legacy, don’t do that.

If your reason for not supporting the game has to do with trans rights, you will be far better off donating that money to an LGBTQ cause. It is, however, worth pointing out that these people do not really care about these issues. They are just addicted to internet outrage. Thus, they won’t do anything that will actually assist the cause they claim to represent. Yelling on Twitter is simply easier.

Why People Dislike Hogwarts Legacy

The reason for so many disliking Hogwarts Legacy has to do with one person. JK Rowling, over the last few years, has come under heavy fire for her anti-transgender stance. She has been a vocal anti-supporter of the movement for years now. Most of the mainstream drama started when Rowling came out about a transgender man who was incarcerated with women. It is alleged that the transgender women did a bunch of things to the women prisoners, and it sparked mass outrage. I cannot verify if this story is true. However, many spoke out against it, and Rowling was one of them.

She received widespread support for the stance, but it also received mass pushback. Many accused her of being transphobic because of this stance. This was the beginning of rowling and speaking out against these types of issues. I do believe personally that the backlash she received made her double down even more. If people took the time to listen to her, it might have been easier to get a better understanding of where she was coming from.

However, people were ruthless, calling for terrible things to happen to her. They simply justified these actions by saying transgender people are being discriminated against, and thus, they did not have to listen to Rowling. Regardless of where you fall on the issue, backlash will find you. I have never been afraid to admit that I am a supporter of Transgender rights; however, yelling at people who object is not productive. Because tensions are so high on both sides, it is hard to have a healthy conversation.

JK Rowling’s Involvement In Hogwarts Legacy

Despite all the controversy, it is worth pointing out that JK Rowling was not involved with this game at all. Many people don’t bother to look into that before calling for the boycott. They simply argue that she still gets a kickback from sales. I will point out, though, that Rowling was very smart with how she maintained the rights over her IP. While many writers sold their stories to studios, Rowling kept her rights. While WB was making the movies, she kept all the rights and just licensed them. For many people, it is a safe bet to simply sell our rights. Studios offer you hundreds of millions, and you take the money upfront.

Many do this because of the changes that can cause movies to fail or even get canceled altogether. Licensing the series out and taking a cut from the profits become a lot riskier. However, Rowling trusted her writing abilities and ended up making billions instead of millions. So many others have signed their rights over to studios like WB and Disney instead. With this, the simple answer is that JK Rowling gets passive income from all Harry Potter games. While WB has publishing rights over the movies, they can’t make anything without Rowling getting her cut.

Rowling is also free to continue with the series as she pleases. Due to this, people are saying that if you support the Harry Potter IP, you are supporting Rowling and thus agree with everything she has to say about trans people. I am sure I do not need to explain to people why that is insane. I can like Harry Potter and be for Trans rights. JK Rowling makes money no matter what.

Conclusion

Ultimately, people will be angry no matter what. This latest burst of outrage is nothing new. Just like the last boycott, this call to action will go nowhere as well. If you do not like this game, simply don’t buy a copy. You will be much happier than spending your days yelling on Twitter. Let the people who want to play this game enjoy it in peace.

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