by 
Warner Bros Games
THE Harry Potter the universe apparently introduces its first transgender character in the new video game Hogwarts Legacy.
The game (out on select platforms this Friday) features a three broomstick-wielding character named Sirona Ryan, who players believe to be transgender based on one line of dialogue, though it’s never been explicitly made clear.
According to CNN, Sirona at one point says, “I hadn’t seen him in years when he arrived a few months ago. But he recognized me instantly, which is more than I can say for some of my classmates. He took them a second to realize that I was actually a witch, not a wizard.”
The inclusion of a transgender character comes after JK Rowling, author and creator of Potter franchise, came under fire in June 2020 when she appeared to support anti-transgender sentiments in a series of tweets. Though she denied that her views on feminism are transphobic, she doubled down on her controversial views in a lengthy essay shared on her website days later.
Responding to the backlash in June 2020, Rowling, now 57, wrote that she refuses to “bow to a movement that I believe is doing demonstrable harm by trying to erode ‘woman’ as a political and biological class and offering cover to predators like few before it.”
Rowling was not involved in the creation of the Hogwarts Legacy video game, according to its official website. “But,” the site added, “as creator of the wizarding world and one of the world’s greatest storytellers, her extraordinary body of writing is the foundation of all projects in the wizarding world. This is not a new JK Rowling story.” However, we’ve worked closely with his team on all aspects of the game to ensure it stays in line with the magical experiences fans have come to expect.”
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Warner Bros Games Hogwarts Legacy (2023)
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A spokesperson for the game’s studio, Portkey Games, which is a Warner Bros. Games label, told IGN about the presence of LGBTQ characters in the video game and intentionally making it more inclusive.
“It was a top priority during the development of Hogwarts Legacy to create a game that is representative and diverse, in line with our wonderful community of fans,” said Portkey Games. “Giving players choices in how they play is something we’ve been working on since the beginning of development. The character creator is just one example of this, and of course the large and diverse cast of characters featured throughout the game also had a tremendous amount of thought from Avalanche and Warner Bros. Games as well as expert advice D&I externals.
Portkey Games added: “The team felt it was very important to create a game that was representative of the rich and diverse world of Harry Potter as well as groups of people playing games, which includes the LGBTQIA+ community. We have a diverse cast of characters that players will meet throughout the game.”
Bruce Glikas/FilmMagic JK Rowling
Potter film actors Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint each spoke out against Rowling’s much-criticized remarks regarding the transgender community. Radcliffe, 33, said it definitively in an earlier essay for The Trevor Project that “transgender women are women.”
“Any statement to the contrary erases the identity and dignity of transgender people and goes against all advice given by professional healthcare associations who have far more experience on the matter than Jo or me,” Radcliffe wrote at the time.
“According to The Trevor Project, 78 percent of transgender and nonbinary youth reported experiencing discrimination because of their gender identity,” she added. “It is clear that we need to do more to support transgender and non-binary people, not invalidate their identities and not cause further harm.”
Hogwarts Legacy is available for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and PC this Friday, then for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on April 4th and for Nintendo Switch on July 25th.
