Attention: the article contains little information about the history of Hogwarts Legacy, but no major spoilers.
IGN has learned that a transgender woman takes pride of place in one of the first missions of Hogwarts Legacy.
Character, Sirona Ryanruns the Three Broomsticks tavern and appears for the first time in the second mission of the main story.
Sirona’s inclusion in Hogwarts Legacy is especially notable given the controversy surrounding the game, which has ignited the debate due to the constant anti-transgender rhetoric of Harry Potter author and main rights holder, JK Rowling, in recent years. Many Harry Potter fans have vowed not to buy Hogwarts Legacy so as not to benefit Rowling and her anti-trans views.
Interestingly, Sirona was not included in any pre-launch announcements for Hogwarts Legacy, and the development team at Portkey Games have remained silent on Rowling and the controversy in general. IGN asked Portkey to comment on Sirona’s inclusion in the game.and a company representative responded via email:
Can you tell us about the creation of Sirona Ryan? At what stage of development was she conceived?
“During the development of Hogwarts Legacy, it has been a priority to create a game that is representative and diverse, in line with our wonderful community of fans. Giving players choice in the way they play is an element that we have worked on since the beginning of development. The character creator is just one example of this, and of course the vast and diverse cast of characters present throughout the game has also been the subject of enormous thought and advice from Avalanche and Warner Bros. Games. of external experts in D&I”.
Sirona is coded as transgender in her appearances throughout the story. How far does Hogwarts Legacy delve into its past?
“The best way to get to know any character is to go deeper into the game.”
Can you talk about what Sirona Ryan means to the Hogwarts Legacy, especially given JK Rowling’s opposition to transgender people like her?
“The team felt it was very important to create a game that was representative of the rich and diverse world of Harry Potter, as well as the groups of people who play the game, including the LGBTQIA+ community. We have a diverse cast of characters who players will encounter throughout the game.
Why didn’t it appear in promotional marketing?
“As with most of the game, we want players to discover all the different story and gameplay elements as they play the game.”
Ultimately, what do you expect the reaction to Sirona Ryan to be?
“The team is very excited about the overall release of the game and can’t wait for fans and players to experience their own Hogwarts Legacy.”
Earlier, speaking to IGN as part of a preview, Hogwarts Legacy Headmaster, Alan Tew also did not mention Rowling by name and used rather similar language.saying that they made the game for a diverse audience.
“I think for us there are challenges in every game we’ve worked on. This game has been no different. When we ran into those challenges, we went back and focused on the things that really matter to us. We know our fans fell in love with the game. Wizarding World, and we think they fell in love with it for the right reasons,” he said. “We know it’s a diverse audience. For us, it’s about making sure that audiences who have always dreamed of having this game have the chance to feel welcome again. That they have a home here and that it’s a good place to have his story”.
Hogwarts Legacy launches on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC on February 10. Versions for PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch will follow. For more, check out our recent Hogwarts Legacy analysis.
