Fact Check: Does customizing wand core, wood, or length affect gameplay in Hogwarts Legacy?

Hogwarts Legacy is already here for many fans and has others keenly anticipating the massive action RPG set in the Wizarding World universe. With no game before matching this scale, high expectations are understandable, particularly for customization. On that note, players can pick their wands in the game.

They can even change aspects like wood type, length, and core. Fans have already determined their wands, either in-game or using the Wizarding World online quiz. These changes, however, are purely cosmetic in nature and don't affect gameplay at all.

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Players have many options to change their wands to their liking in Hogwarts Legacy

Given that these customization options are entirely cosmetic in nature, the wand core or even the length of the wand does not enhance or diminish the efficiency of the item in the game. This revelation may disappoint hardcore fans, it is a good thing in execution beecause according to Wizarding World lore, different combinations of wand components can have different resulting wands.

If the wand mechanics were to work as stated in the lore each wand could vary heavily between one another in terms of effectiveness, power, and more. So there is a clear heriarchy at play, with many wands being better than others - the Elder Wand, in particular, is the most powerful wand in Wizarding World.

The core design would become severely skewed if such a system were implemented for Hogwarts Legacy. Weaker wand combinations would be ignored in favor of the most powerful setups, homogenizing the experience.

Given that it is an RPG, balancing the game's many design elements (including enemies, spells, damage, and so on) for so many variations would be a nightmare. It wouldn't be a fun experience for gamers, so it makes sense why this approach was used.

While wands are just for show, players cannot customize them again after the first time. So be sure to finalize the look of the wand when the opportunity is presented, as another will not arise unless players wish to create a new character from scratch. Given that Hogwarts Legacy is an open-world experience, having gameplay progress reset would be very frustrating.

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What are wands used for in Hogwarts Legacy?

They are the main driving force behind most mechanics in the game. These range from interacting with the environment, like braziers and collectibles, to combat. The latter involves spell incantations, each of which has different effects on the battlefield.

These include levatating opponents and dishing out damage to protect yourself using Protego. Players can even use the three Unforgivable Curses: Imperio, Crucio, and Avada Kedavra

The game will release on February 10, 2023, for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series XS. Early access is available three days before launch for Deluxe Edition owners. Last-gen players on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One can expect to get their hands on it on April 4. A Nintendo Switch version is also in the works and is scheduled for June 25.