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New Harry Potter game is all about the Quidditch you couldn't play in Hogwarts Legacy, and playtests start this week

April 17, 2023 , , , , , , , , , ,

A new Harry Potter video game was unceremoniously announced today, and you can sign up to try it right now. Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions is a competitive multiplayer game built around the titular flying sport, and its first two-day playtest starts this Friday, April 21. 

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Warner Bros. announced the game and its playtest in a tweet, of all things. Portkey Games, the WB publishing arm specifically tied to Harry Potter, is overseeing development with Unbroken Studios, creator of 100-player battle royale Fractured Lands (which was pulled from Steam while still in early access) and co-developer of the heavily delayed Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. 

Hogwarts Legacy, which notably didn't include Quidditch (perhaps to avoid overlap between the two projects), was also overseen by Portkey but developed by Avalanche Software. 

Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions is so new that it hasn't even appeared on Portkey's website, but there is a handy FAQ on its official page – which, again, you can visit to sign up for playtesting. Naturally, signing up doesn't guarantee entry, but you can at least put your name in the hat. 

Portkey says this game "is a complete, standalone Quidditch experience" which has been in development "for several years." It's apparently coming to PC and unspecified consoles eventually, but a release date hasn't been determined yet. Here are some other standout details from the FAQ:

  • You can create and customize your own character
  • You will need an internet connection to play, obviously 
  • You can play "solo or team up with friends or others online" 

Portkey also addresses the game's ties to original Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling, whose inevitable connection to the franchise cast quite some controversy over Hogwarts Legacy. "Each experience offered under Portkey Games will take place in the wizarding world and will be authentic to it," the studio says. "J.K. Rowling is hugely supportive of Portkey Games and has entrusted the design and creation of the games to WB Games and the developers involved." 

The release of Hogwarts Legacy has been the subject of criticism and debate due to J.K. Rowling's public stance on gender identity, which continues to challenge the inclusivity at the heart of the Harry Potter community. Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions is in a similar situation and may spark similar discussion. That being said, here is our explainer on the Hogwarts Legacy controversy. 

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