Avalanche's Harry Potter RPG still on track for 2021, but devs are concerned about Rowling tweets
Avalanche's highly-anticipated but yet-to-be-announced Harry Potter RPG is still reportedly on track for a 2021 launch, but devs at Warner Bros. are concerned about series creator J.K. Rowling's recent tweets.
A report published by Bloomberg confirms that two insiders at the Warner Bros. studio working on the Harry Potter RPG have corroborated the fact that the game is still scheduled to launch next year as originally planned. Although it was supposed to be unveiled at E3 2020, the coronavirus pandemic forced the studio to adjust its existing roadmap.
As of right now, it remains unclear as to when the first official gameplay footage of the Harry Potter RPG will be shown.
However, these devs - who spoke to Bloomberg anonymously - have maintained that studio management has refrained from addressing Harry Potter creator J.K. Rowling's recent transphobic tweets.
Many people working on the project have since expressed concern - privately, among one another - about working on a game tied to Rowling. An editor for a popular Harry Potter fansite also explained that the series has been substantially tainted by Rowling's actions, and there is a chance a significant amount of people will flat out refuse to support any projects related to its universe.
“Based on what I’ve seen from fans, I do believe that Rowling’s comments have had some effect on the level of excitement they have for the Harry Potter RPG or other upcoming content,” MuggleNet editor Felicia Grady told Bloomberg. “We’ve seen comments from fans who no longer wish to support Rowling or the brand financially.”
In related news, a recent leak revealed certain aspects of the Harry Potter RPG, including combat, a hub world, Nemesis-inspired rivals, romance, and more.
Warner Bros. will host an event in August, although Harry Potter will not be shown - instead, the DC FanDome will likely be used to show off the studio's upcoming Batman game.