Hogwarts Legacy art book and gameplay leak details inventory, characters, locations, and more

With Hogwarts Legacy set to arrive on modern consoles and PCs next month, it was only a matter of time before leaks started going public. On that note, an art book and a handful of gameplay details have been leaked ahead of the title's launch.

The former showcases new artwork, character information, and even a look at the inventory UI. The latter, meanwhile, sheds light on features that the final product will supposedly have.

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Everything the Hogwarts Legacy art book leak reveals

The Hogwarts Legacy art book gives fans a look at concept art for different locales and characters in the game.

Some known locations make an appearance, like the Grand Staircase's array of portraits and shifting staircases or the Great Hall's holiday aesthetic during the Christmas season.

As for characters, we see new professors for the first time ever due to the fact that Hogwarts Legacy takes place a hundred years before the Harry Potter books.

The art book also includes a first-time look at the in-game character inventory screen. It details the player's House, name, amount of money on hand, and stats (which are split into Health, Offense, and Defense).

Since the title is an RPG, equipment matters, and it seems like outfits are split into various segments like headwear, neckwear, and outfits. Players can also seemingly customize their broom, mount, and wand. Besides the Character screen, there are other tabs: Inventory, Talents (for skills progression), Quests, Owl Post, Map, Field Guide, and Settings.

Players are also able to explore the great outdoors. This doesn't just include the quaint town of Hogsmeade but also the mysterious Forest. Even the Herbology classroom has been expanded over previous media renditions. Additionally, a map is included, highlighting the topography of the open world waiting to be explored.

There also seems to be a list of spells, which includes several options that have been confirmed thus far, like Protego and Reparo. So, it is safe to assume all of them will make it into Hogwarts Legacy. Other notable spells include the Patronus charm to ward off Dementors, Expecto Patronum, or the water-spouting spell, Aguamenti.

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What about gameplay?

New gameplay details about Hogwarts Legacy have also come to light. For one, the title's main plot will take around 35 hours to beat. Those who wish to 100% Hogwarts Legacy can expect to spend twice that time at roughly 70 hours. This includes side quests, of which there is immense quantity and variety.

The main narrative will follow a different progression depending on the House that the player is assigned to. However, all paths eventually converge for the same finale.

In addition to dungeons and open-world exploration, players will encounter puzzles known as Merlin's Puzzles. Apparently, there are about 100 of them, and each makes full use of the spell-casting abilities of the protagonist.

Fans have also wondered about the deadly Avada Kedavra spell that can be learned in Hogwarts Legacy. As one of the Unforgivable Curses, it can instantly kill the target. Its use is strictly forbidden, as it has usually been used by Dark Arts practitioners. It will reportedly only be learnable via a side mission after the main plot of Hogwarts Legacy has been finished.

However, there are some things that are fairly concerning. For example, it seems like a quarter chunk of the map has been removed. This includes the Swamp and Highlands, both of them being seemingly unplayable. This could make sense, given that the game's various renditions have been fragmented and delayed, so perhaps these areas will return as DLC.

Quidditch, a popular sport in the Wizarding World universe, was also initially in the works but was eventually removed. This is a feature that has been included in previous Harry Potter games on consoles and PCs, so it is disappointing to hear that it did not make the cut.

Hogwarts Legacy is headed to PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S on February 10, 2023. The PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions will arrive on April 4, 2023. The Nintendo Switch version will be released about six months after its original launch, on July 25, 2023.