Hogwarts Legacy Delay May Only Be The Beginning
Gamers looking forward to visiting Harry Potter's famous wizarding school will have to wait until 2022 to do so, as Avalanche Software has delayed Hogwarts Legacy until next year. While that news is disappointing on its own, industry analysts and journalists, including Bloomberg's Jason Schreier, have predicted that this is likely just one of many 2021 delays.
News of Hogwarts Legacy's delay arrived in the form of a tweet, which consisted of an image of the famous Harry Potter wand store, Ollivanders, accompanied by a short statement from Avalanche Software. In it, the team thanked fans for their enthusiasm for Hogwarts Legacy and the Portkey Games label for its support. The announcement then stated, "Creating the best possible experience for the Wizarding World and gaming fans is paramount to us so we are giving the game the time it needs." As a result of this commitment, the game has been pushed back to 2022.
Bloomberg's Jason Schreier retweeted the announcement with his own caption that read, "The first of many, many 2021 game delays to come." While he didn't provide any hints as to what games might be facing delays, commenters on social media were more than happy to supply their own predictions. Gamers seemed to agree that God of War: Ragnarok and Horizon: Forbidden West were likely candidates to get pushed back, although many other titles were mentioned.
Likewise, Schreier offered no insights into why so many games might experience significant delays in 2021, but two reasons were apparent to gamers. Multiple fans on the official Hogwarts Legacy Twitter feed referenced the troubled launch of Cyberpunk 2077 as a good enough reason for Avalanche Games to take its time. Beyond that, the COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on the release schedules of many high profile releases over the last year. Developers are still trying to figure out how to adapt to the challenges that have persisted into 2021.
Meanwhile, Harry Potter fans will just have to wait to learn more. Details about what to expect from Hogwarts Legacy have been thin, and the former 2021 release date was one of the few things that Avalanche Software had so far confirmed. Visiting the official website for the game fills in some details, such as an RPG focus, an 1800s Hogwarts setting, and a chance to "master Ancient Magic," for good or evil. The page's FAQ section notes that the game is being developed for current and next-generation PlayStation consoles and the Xbox family of devices, including the Series X|S, and will be released on PC.