Hogwarts Legacy (WB Games)
The action-role game in the world of Harry Potter,
Hogwarts Legacy
, will reach us on February 10, and although the hype is at its peak on the part of many fans, it is still experiencing quite a few calls for a boycott.
It started with the transgender community's call not to pay royalties to author JK Rowling because of her statements, and it continues with the Jewish community claiming anti-Semitism.
Long before the game was announced, it was claimed that the goblins in Rowling's universe were originally based on antisemitic paintings and stereotypes of Jews from the Middle Ages to the present day.
The debate surrounding anti-Semitism in the game resurfaced after the game's plot was revealed, and it features the same goblins as the main villains.
JK Rowling (Photo: GettyImages)
One of the users on Reddit wrote: "The Goblin Rebellion was a series of events that took place in the wizarding world and in the books. The plot of the game will focus (among other things) on the rebellion of goblins fighting for their rights and prejudices from the wizarding community. Your goal as heroes in the game is to suppress the rebellion and restore the status of the goblins to its natural place - under the rule of the magicians."
"The goblins in Harry Potter have already been criticized for their anti-Semitic stereotypes, such as their control of the banking system, their greed, and their exaggerated facial features. The game also takes place in 1890 - the same year when the anti-Semitic document 'The Protocols of the Elders of Zion' was also released, triggering a rising wave of anti-Semitism in Europe." .
The same user noted that a mission in one of the missions in the game will focus on a goblin conspiring with an evil wizard and planning to kidnap children in the game.
Another anti-Semitic claim made about the Jews throughout history.
Despite the great expectation, he called on players not to purchase the game, and not to donate their money to JK Rowling, or to the Warner Bros. games division that distributes the title.
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The plot of the game will focus on the goblin rebellion, and the goal of the players will be to suppress and restore the rule of the wizards (photo: screenshot, WB Games)
The discussion drew quite a few comments.
Some have claimed that Hogwarts Legacy will allow players to choose whether they want to be good or bad wizards.
Others argued that the goblins were not presented as outright evil, and that players would be able to choose a side.
Some agreed with the calls for a boycott, while others argued that it would not contribute to ending anti-Semitism or transphobia.
The game is expected to be released on February 10, 2023, and now it is still too early to understand whether the boycott will have its effect and the sales of the game will suffer.
All these calls have now been addressed by David Haddad, CEO of the Warner Bros. games division, who stated: "We are focused on developing the best experience we can, and we want everyone who loves this world, the stories and the characters to be able to enjoy it."
Hogwarts Legacy Will be released for PC, PlayStation 4 and 5 consoles, Xbox One and Series X\S.The date of the Nintendo Switch version will be revealed at a later stage.
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