The Wizarding World is one with a rich history. A lot of people may think that it comprises just theHarry Potterbooks and films. But there’s a lot more to it than just that. In fact, there’s a long line of characters and lore that the films don’t really touch on. But with the release ofHogwarts Legacy, it’s only natural to question whether it’s canon or not.
Unfortunately, it’s not clear whetherHogwarts Legacyis truly canon to the Wizarding World. While it’s touted as an official prequel to many of the main stories from the Wizarding World, nobody involved has outright stated that it is canon. In fact, a lot of the wording surrounding this is quite vague.Hogwarts Legacytakes place in the 1890s, more than 100 years before the firstHarry Potterstory, and just a few decades away fromFantastic Beasts. As such,Hogwarts Legacywill feature plenty of new faces and breathe new life into some classic characters. But whether these are canon is up for debate.
Hogwarts Legacyis heavily based on existing lore
Hogwarts Legacy‘sFAQ pageconfirms that “the games are anchored inWizarding Worldlore.” However, this post also states that “players will find new and unexpected locations, characters and story elements.” So there will be plenty here that is new forWizarding Worldfans. As previously mentioned, however, these dance around the idea of canonicity. Instead, it’s better to think of this game as a non-canon entry in theWizarding Worldfor now.
Hogwarts Legacyis the next step in building on the universe of theWizarding World. And there may be many more games to come under the Portkey Games label. It is important to note that these games willnotbe “written by J.K. Rowling and will not be direct adaptations of the books and films.” Because of that, it’s hard to sayHogwarts Legacyis canon for sure.
These are brand new experiences from new creators that have been entrusted by the author. As such, each game made under this label, includingHogwarts Legacy, is a self-contained entry within the Wizarding World.
Either way, this should be good news for fans of theWizarding Worldwho are craving new stories. It’ll certainly be interesting to see where these games can go afterHogwarts Legacy. And it might be refreshing to see some new ideas brought to the series. If this has given you the push to get the game yourself, be sure todouble-check the platformyou’re buying it on.
Sam Robins
Sam is a Contributing Writer at PC Invasion. For just over 5 years, he has been writing about all areas of gaming from news and guides, to reviews of the latest titles. When he’s not writing, he’s usually sinking time into an RPG or trying to convince his friends to play The Legends of Heroes series. He can usually be found lurking on Twitter (@GhoolyTV) most days.
