The much-awaited Hogwarts Legacy has now been released, causing a website to be created to find streamers on Twitch who have already streamed the game. While it is officially set to be released on February 10, some have already gained access to Hogwarts Legacy and are streaming their playthroughs to a wide audience.
The release of Hogwarts Legacy has been met with criticism due to J.K. Rowling’s transphobic remarks, leading some to refuse to play the game in protest. As a result, the game and its players have been accused of being transphobic.
A day before the early release of Hogwarts Legacy, Twitter user Sam Gibbs posted a link to the website HaveTheyStreamedThatWizardGame.com on the social media platform, garnering over 8 million views in a mere 24 hours. The comments section had to be closed due to the overwhelming amount of negative feedback from both sides of the argument. The situation escalated when one Twitch streamer was reduced to tears due to the harassment they received in the Twitch chat while streaming the game, prompting the streamer to take a break before coming back to announce that any further verbal attacks would be met with a ban.
The website in question serves as a search engine that allows users to type in the name of a Twitch streamer. When the name is submitted, the streamer’s icon appears with a result to show if they are currently playing or not playing “THAT game.” The controversy surrounding this has been so great that the Hogwarts Legacy subreddit has gone so far as to prohibit any reference to J.K. Rowling, thus protecting the discussions from any disruptions caused by debates on the creator of the franchise.
Critics have mostly given positive reviews of Hogwarts Legacy, praising the game’s visuals and gameplay. There has been both acclaim and criticism towards the inclusion of a transgender character in the game. As the website targeting streamers exists, it serves as a potential warning to those who may wish to show Hogwarts Legacy on streaming platforms.
A launch of Hogwarts Legacy is on the horizon, with the PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X versions becoming available on February 10th. The PS4 and Xbox One versions will follow on April 4th, with the Nintendo Switch version being released on July 25th.
