Harry Potter Author J.K. Rowling Was Not “Directly Involved” With Hogwarts Legacy

In an FAQ post about the upcoming Harry Potter RPG Hogwarts Legacy, Warner Bros. clarified that author J.K. Rowling was not involved with the creation of the game’s story.

“J.K. Rowling is not directly involved in the creation of the game, however, her extraordinary body of writing is the foundation of all projects in the Wizarding World,” says WB in response to a question about J.K. Rowling’s involvement. “This is not a new story from J.K. Rowling.”

Subsequent answers posted throughout the FAQ reveal more about Rowling’s involvement or apparent lack thereof. For instance, the FAQ notes that developer Portkey Games will be “remaining true to J.K. Rowling’s original work” but intend to “chart new territory by creating fresh ways for fans to immerse themselves in the wizarding world.”

Along those same lines, it’s later mentioned that the game is “inspired by J.K. Rowling’s Wizarding World” and that the games are “anchored in Wizarding World lore.” Yes, they used the word “games” as in plural. Later on, WB clarifies that Portkey Games intends to “create a variety of new and immersive gaming experiences that are all inspired by J.K. Rowling’s Wizarding World.” There again, they make sure to note that “these experiences have not been written by J.K. Rowling and will not be direct adaptations of the books or films.”

Finally, the FAQ states that “J.K. Rowling is supportive of Portkey Games and has entrusted the design and creation of the games to WB Games and the developers involved.” Again, they seem to be making it clear that they do not currently intend for J.K. Rowling to be directly involved with the creation process of Hogwarts Legacy or any other future Harry Potter titles developed by Portkey Games.

That last part is somewhat speculative and obviously subject to change over the course of the coming years, but it’s certainly easy to understand why WB, Portkey Games, and the other members of the Hogwarts Legacy team would want to disassociate themselves with Rowling. As we mentioned in a previous article, transphobic comments made by Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling greatly concerned many of those involved with Hogwarts Legacy and other Harry Potter projects at Warner Bros.

Around that same time, Warner Bros. put out a statement which noted that their “position on inclusiveness is well established” and that “fostering a diverse and inclusive culture has never been more important to our company and to our audiences around the world.” While Warner Bros. did not specifically reference J.K. Rowling in the statement, that statement was released in response to some of Rowling’s early controversial comments.

So while Hogwarts Legacy is indeed heavily inspired by the works of Rowling and the greater Harry Potter universe, its 1800s time period and these statements certainly create quite a bit of distance between Rowling and the games.