Streamers online are calling for a boycott of Twitch over the ad campaign forHogwarts Legacy. The release ofHogwarts Legacyis proving to be extremely controversial.
Hogwarts Legacyhas faced a difficult run-up to its release, mainly due to the string of transphobic comments made byHarry Potterauthor J.K. Rowling. With the game now just days from release, fans who have grown up with Rowling’s Wizarding World face animpossible choice aboutHogwarts Legacy.Fans have waited years for an RPG that allows for an in-depth exploration of Hogwarts, and early reviews suggest that the title is everything fans have been waiting for. But despite this, the reputation of the entireHarry Potterfranchise has suffered at the hands of Rowling’s beliefs, and it will surely prove too much for many to look past, at no fault of the developers.
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The news that Twitch is forcingHogwarts Legacyads onto creators came from Twitch streamer Nikatine, who released a statement condemning the site. Nikatine began the campaign by announcing she would not be streaming on the platform while theHogwarts Legacyad campaign continues to run. Other smaller creators have announced they’ll be joining Nikatine in a total boycott of the platform, while others still will simply be turning off their ads whenever they’re live on Twitch. Theplanned boycottofHogwarts Legacyis well documented, with some believing that any further support of the Wizarding World equates to the support of Rowling’s transphobic stances.
The main issue for creators is that they’re unable to selectively opt out of their viewers receiving ads forHogwarts Legacyon their streams. These ads will often interrupt the stream, so are impossible to avoid on the site. It seems that Twitch is constantly at the heart of controversy on the internet, with the addition of theanti-transgender charity LGB Alliance to the sitecausing a stir at the end of 2022.
Despite the string of controversies, Avalanche Studios has hinted where it stands in this situation, including atransgender character inHogwarts Legacy. Given Rowling’s unshakable conviction on the matter, this is a surprising move. While Avalanche Studios has done all it can to separate itself from Rowling, it is likely that it can only say so much without legal repercussions. However, the issue is a severe elephant in the room forHogwarts Legacy, and can’t simply be ignored.
Hogwarts Legacylaunches February 10 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X, with PS4 and Xbox One versions coming April 4, and a Switch port releasing July 25.
MORE:Hogwarts Legacy’s Controversies Are The Sign Every Future Harry Potter Game Needs to Distance Itself From J.K Rowling
