If you’re a Harry Potter fan, then the fun continues for you. The epic novel series curated by J.K. Rowling has become a billion-dollar franchise that continues to grow. Speaking of which, the fans get another game called Hogwarts Legacy to enjoy. The game is a 2023 action role-playing game developed by Avalanche Software and published by Warner Bros. Games under its Portkey Games label. The game is set in the Wizarding World universe, based on the Harry Potter novels, and was released for PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S in 2023. However, the game is receiving backlash currently.
Earlier, Rowling’s transphobic commentary led the audience to ask for a boycott. While the creators have claimed that the game was created without Rowling’s involvement, the players can still create their own trans characters. Moreover, the game introduces the series’ first canonical transgender character, Sirona Ryan. The open-world game allows the player to customize their character, and create a trans-Hogwarts student if they like.
Hogwarts Legacy sparks controversy
It goes without saying that the gaming community is enjoying the storyline and the overall gameplay of Hogwarts Legacy. However, they are not too comfortable with the transgender character. Sirona is a non-playable character (NPC). While Sirona right out doesn’t say that she is trans, her dialogue refers to it. Her dialogue is, “Took them a second to realize I was actually a witch, not a wizard.” Moreover, the gesture seems to be created out of goodwill for the community.
Avalanche Software even came forward and explained the reason why the character exists. Their spokesperson said, “The team felt that it was very important to create a game that is representative of the rich and diverse world of Harry Potter as well as the groups of people who play games, which includes the LGBTQIA+ community. We have a diverse cast of characters that players will encounter throughout the game.”
Hogwarts Legacy fans angry over trans character
One user said:
F***ing hell they called the ONLY trans witch in like, ALL OF BRITAIN, SIRona RYAN
Another user wrote:
They really put a trans woman in Hogwarts Legacy and named her Sirona Ryan. They literally put ‘sir’ in her f***ing name.
One more user said:
I’m trying to think about a lot of girl names, I don’t see any that begins with ‘sir’ or ‘guy’ or something like that. The last name is a male name. Names aren’t chosen randomly: when you are in the spotlight for transphobia and it’s your ‘first trans character’, it looks bad.
A user wrote:
I’m all for the developers adding in a trans character, but why the f*** did they name her SIRona RYAN?
Another user wrote:
As a South Korean who always felt grossed out by the name Cho Chang for the one East Asian character in that one wizard world, I don’t know what I expected going forward in that universe with the new media coming out. But it wasn’t f***ing Sirona Ryan for their trans character.
One user said:
To the folks outraged about Sirona Ryan, you are f***ing stupid. The developers intentionally gave her a name with connotations of healing and rebirth, a reference to a Celtic goddess, and people choose to be bothered by it.
