Hogwarts Legacy distances itself from JK Rowling and introduces a trans character

JK Rowling's shadow has always loomed over Hogwarts Legacy. Due to her repeated transphobic comments, Rowling has been written off in many circles, and the development of the game has been marked by the debate of whether buying the game also means supporting the author's message, or at least giving her money and supporting her.

Avalanche Software, the studio behind the project, has always wanted to distance itself from the ideology expressed by the creator of Harry Potter, and has taken all sorts of initiatives to do so. So far we knew some, such as the character editor does not include gender choice, but after the release of the game we learned many others. This is the case of Syrona Ryan.

Syrona Ryan is the keeper of the Three Broomsticks, the iconic inn and tavern in Hogsmeade, the small town next to Hogwarts that we were introduced to in Prisoner of Azkaban. She has a small role in several of the game's sidequests and may be asked about her relationship with another character at one point. At that point, Syrona assures us that they knew each other before "her transition," clarifying that when she saw herself with that other person years later, even though she had changed, she recognized them instantly. "That is more than I can say for some of my peers. It took them several seconds to realize that I'm actually a witch, not a wizard," Ryan blurts out.

Controversies aside, Hogwarts Legacy seems to have lived up to the high expectations placed upon it. Without going too far, in Meristation USA's review of the game, we mentioned that "fans will find not only a love letter, but also a place they will want to return to and explore for a long time to come. In the text we talk about how the work done by Avalanche Software is a combination that takes advantage of the technology of the new consoles to bring the magical world in a context far from what we know from books and movies. Despite certain details in the controls and a shocking amount of secondary missions and challenges, it has enough "elements that make it engaging enough to want to roam the corridors and fields surrounding Hogwarts for a long time".