Why are Valkyrae, HasanAbi, and more boycotting Hogwarts Legacy? The entire controversy explained

With Hogwarts Legacy dropping today (February 10), many streamers and community members refused to play the game. Among the notable figures who have been vocal about boycotting the game have been Rachell "Valkyrae" and Hasan "HasanAbi."

Hogwarts Legacy was under the cosh even before its release. The primary reason for the ensuing embargo is J.K. Rowling. The author has been embroiled in controversy since 2020 when she made public comments that were widely perceived as transphobic. Rowling published a blog justifying her statements, which caused a further furor and divided the base.

Given that the game is based on Harry Potter lore, its existence has been under scrutiny by various parts of the community. However, Warner Bros. has explicitly distanced the project from Rowling. The studio clarified that the author wasn't involved in the game's development, but she owns the Harry Potter license and will benefit from sales.

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What did HasanAbi and Valkyrae say about Hogwarts Legacy?

HasanAbi runs an active commentary channel focused on pop culture and news. Despite not being a core gaming member, Hasan opined on the boycott of the game by a section of gamers. He said:

"A lot of streamers are even talking about like, whether or not they should play the new J.K. Rowling Hogwarts, well it's not even J.K. Rowling, but like, the new Hogwarts Legacy game, which I personally think is good that they're even having that conversation."

Speaking about the ensuing boycott imposed on the game by several users, HasanAbi stated:

"I personally don't give a sh*t about that and I think it's so silly. I don't think people are going to genuinely be able to make the consumer side like a boycott on a game like this."

He also took to his alternative Twitter account (private) to post about creating a fundraiser for the transgender community. However, it is unlikely that the streamer will get into the game. He stated:

"The only reason why I'm not playing this game and I know a bunch of other people are not playing this game. Is because we know that it's not worth it to get f***king bullied endlessly and called transphobic endlessly when we have massive queer communities and audiences. That's it."

ITimestamp: 06:58:06)

As far as the 100 Thieves co-owner is concerned, she asserted that she would not engage in the game since it is not "worth it." Valkyrae added:

"I think I'm going to just watch my friends play it. I don't think it's worth it. Personally, in my own opinion, I don't think it's worth it."

She asserted that she doesn't want to ignore any part of her community:

"I feel like I have a large audience and I want to be careful. I don't want to like, hurt anybody."

She further stated that she has not gotten over what J.K. Rowling has said and feels that the game obliquely promotes what she stands for.

Another streamer who has refused to play the game is Thomas "Sykkuno." In a recent stream, he said:

"'Is he going to play Hogwarts Legacy?' Umm... I personally don't really know much about Harry Potter. So I don't have much interest in the game, personally. I don't plan on playing it at all!"

He elaborated that the reason he would not be playing is due to his lack of knowledge of the Harry Potter series:

"I don't know. I feel like, I just, I don't know anything about the series. It's not something I'm into. I'm not interested in that. So, don't know what to say. I know Leslie's been playing it. I guess so that's the whole thing."

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What has the community said regarding the game?

There seems to be an overwhelmingly divided opinion on the subject. One Redditor (u/TheGenderKnot) on r/GirlGamers opined why they would not play Hogwarts Legacy.

The general audience, however, appears to have liked the game. Hogwarts Legacy has garnered over 1.2 million concurrent views on Twitch, making it the most viewed category.