Hogwarts Legacy will receive a dedicated State of Play preview stream on March 17.
The 20-minute broadcast will feature more than 14 minutes of the upcoming Harry Potter game running on a PS5, rounding out with some insights from a couple of developers behind the game.
You can watch the State of Play at 2pm PT / 5pm ET / 9pm GMT (or March 18 at 8am AEDT) on the PlayStation Twitch or YouTube channel.
The preview follows last week’s Japanese-focused State of Play, which revealed a bunch of upcoming PS4 and PS5 releases, including Exoprimal, Valkyrie Chronicles, and a co-op expansion for Returnal.
It also gave us a pre-launch trailer of Ghostwire: Tokyo that’s due to release on March 25.
Analysis: what can we expect to see?
Following its official announcement in 2020, Hogwarts Legacy has remained something of a mystery. The open-world RPG is set in the titular magical school during the 19th century and will see you explore familiar locations from the Harry Potter books and film series. You’ll be creating potions, casting spells, and upgrading your magical talents as you battle against the dark wizarding forces.
However, with only one reveal trailer released so far, Harry Potter fans will be excited to see the game in action. Even a quarter of an hour is likely to give us a better understanding of the game’s combat, character creation, and open-world traversal.
Although Hogwarts Legacy will release on PS5, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC, this Sony State of Play might delve into its PlayStation-exclusive features, such as its use of the DualSense’s haptic feedback and adaptive triggers.
Of course, there’s also the possibility the State of Play will reveal the game’s release date, which was originally set at 2021 before being delayed to sometime this year. That still looks like a firm release window. In a Twitter thread earlier in the year, WarnerMedia’s CEO reiterated the publisher’s plans to release the game in 2022, and this upcoming State of Play all but confirms the game’s launch is on the horizon.
We wouldn’t be surprised if this dedicated showcase finally revealed the launch date of the much-anticipated game.
Hogwarts Legacy has sparked controversy over its connection to Harry Potter creator J.K. Rowling, who’s received much criticism over the last couple of years for allegedly making transphobic comments. An FAQ section on the game’s official website states “J.K. Rowling is not directly involved in the creation of the game”, while a Bloomberg report suggests Hogwarts Legacy will feature trans-inclusive character creation options. Bloomberg says that push for inclusivity came about as a reaction to Rowling’s comments.
