Hogwarts Legacy: Why are people boycotting one of the biggest games of the year?

"It's people like you that are making the world a worse place."

That's one of the milder pieces of feedback Maysa Pritilata has received for encouraging people not to buy one of 2023's biggest video games, Hogwarts Legacy.

Giving players the chance to become their own witch or wizard in JK Rowling's fantasy world, it's received mostly glowing reviews and had long been high on pre-order charts ahead of its full release on Friday.

It's the first major new Harry Potter game in more than a decade. But it's also the first big new game in the franchise since Rowling's stance on transgender rights became a subject of public debate.

Search for the game online and you don't have to look far to find opposition among the excitement; a Twitter video encouraging people to boycott has amassed more than nine million views; gaming forum ResetEra has banned all mention of the game; major site GameSpot published an essay about Rowling's "anti-transgender stance"; and a fundraiser asking people to donate to a trans charity instead of buying the game amassed thousands of pounds.

For Maysa, a trans woman whose article about Hogwarts Legacy for openDemocracy brought vitriol to her inbox, it makes the decision to boycott an easy one.

"I love video games," she says.

"I'm not boycotting it because I think my money is going to seriously harm the publisher, Warner Bros, or Rowling.

"But why would I do it to myself? Why would I do it to other people, who would feel like I'm validating the game?"

Trans fan 'found solace' in Potter

Since writing about her stance, Maysa's inbox has regularly housed abusive messages from people who are excited about the game and support Rowling.

But not everyone who feels hurt by Rowling's views can so easily brush her most famous creation aside.

"As a fandom, we have been looking forward to this game before it was even announced," says Asher Chelder, a transgender Potter fan who admits his relationship with the franchise is "complicated".

"I found a lot of solace in the series and it's something I can't shake. It's part of who I am."

Asher, who is part of the social media team at Potter fan site MuggleNet, is certainly not alone in his excitement.

The game has also been well received by critics, with Sky News' gaming reporter Martin Kimber hailing it as a "beautifully crafted love letter" to a franchise millions of people still hold dear.

-sky news