The upcoming Harry Potter RPG, Hogwarts Legacy, will not feature microtransactions. Following the game’s State of Play on Thursday (March 17), community manager Chandler Wood quashed any concerns by fans:
“We’ve seen this question coming up and want to set the record straight. There are no microtransactions in Hogwarts Legacy,” Wood said on his personal Twitter account.
Are there microtransactions in Hogwarts Legacy?
The news comes after Hogwarts Legacy’s impressive gameplay debut at the PlayStation State of Play. It has been confirmed players can customize their wizards as they enter Hogwarts as a fifth-year student. A holiday 2022 date was announced by the developers; September seems the most likely date to tie in with the game’s book counterpart. Hogwarts Legacy is due to be released for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X & S, Xbox One, and PC. Plans have also been confirmed by WB to release the game on Nintendo Switch, but no date has been announced as of yet.
We've seen this question coming up and want to set the record straight.
There are no microtransactions in Hogwarts Legacy.
— Chandler Wood (@FinchStrife) March 17, 2022
In recent years there has been a demise in microtransactions, particularly loot boxes. In October 2020, EA was fined €10 million by a Netherlands district court for violating the country’s Betting and Gaming Act (via GamesIndustry.biz). The court ruled due to the inclusion of loots boxes in FIFA Ultimate Team. However, earlier this month, EA successfully overturned this fine after the court ruled the publisher did not break the country’s gambling rules after all.
Recent studies by researchers at the University of Plymouth and the University of Wolverhampton found that loot boxes are “structurally and psychologically akin to gambling.” Furthermore, it found children were opening these so-called loot boxes.
In other news, check out all the details revealed from the Hogwarts Legacy State of Play. Sony is taking misconduct allegations from eight female workers “seriously”. Meanwhile, read the latest on the Supermassive Games’ latest title, The Quarry and its debut trailer.
