A: J.K. Rowling was not involved in the creation of the game, but 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.
Between the lines: Rowling may profit from Hogwarts Legacy, but she didn't write it. It was developed by Warner Bros. -owned Avalanche Software. The game's official FAQ notes that J.K. Rowling is not involved in the creation of the game," but critics have said its popularity would still benefit Rowling.
Lead writer Moira Squier stated that the story was purposefully placed in a time period where no established characters of the Wizarding World franchise were around, making it possible to provide the player with their own unique world in a setting similar to the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts eras.
It could be argued that Hogwarts Legacy is entirely the work of Warner Bros., but players can't avoid the world that Hogwarts Legacy is built on. While J.K. Rowling may not have had a hand in its development, she earned money from selling the license.
Though Rowling wasn't involved in the development of Hogwarts Legacy, she still earns her fortune through the entire Wizarding World franchise. Meaning that for every book, film, theme park ticket, and merchandise sold, she receives a cut.
It is unclear how much Rowling will financially benefit from the game; a spokesman for Rowling declined to comment on its reception. In December, after Jessie Earl, a transgender gaming commentator, tweeted that it was “harmful” to support Hogwarts Legacy, Rowling used the term “purethink” to criticize the argument.
Does J.K. Rowling still own rights to Harry Potter?
Yes Warner Bros. owns the film rights to the Harry Potter movie series, but the character rights are entirely owned by Rowling. Because of this, Warner Bros. cannot use the characters in any other story or further the HP universe in any way we would recognize.
In 2004, Forbes reported that Rowling had a fortune worth a staggering $1 billion. She was the first billionaire to have amassed her wealth solely through writing! However, in 2012, she was dropped off the billionaire list as she had given $160 million to charity.
Many Harry Potter fans around the world eagerly awaited the release of the new video game Hogwarts Legacy — a title mired in controversy due to comments by series creator J.K. Rowling about transgender people. Fans have since boycotted the game over what they see as Rowling's anti-trans views.
Although Dumbledore himself isn't in Hogwarts Legacy, the Astronomy Tower where he famously fell to his death, of course, is and its location reveals a sad truth.
Of course, since Hogwarts Legacy precedes the main series by about one hundred years, Tom Riddle has yet to be born during the game's events. This same sentiment applies to most Harry Potter characters, with the single exception being Albus Dumbledore.
Professor Matilda Weasley is likely Ron Weasley's great-great-great-great aunt, based on their shared ancestry and the four-generation gap between them. It is unlikely that Professor Weasley has any direct children, as she longed for a more stable lifestyle and is still unmarried during the events of Hogwarts Legacy.
J.K. Rowling, the renowned author and creator of the beloved Harry Potter series, has amassed significant wealth throughout her career. As of April 2024, her estimated net worth stands at around $1.15 billion, primarily attributed to her literary achievements, business ventures, and strategic investments.
Sirona's deeper voice in Hogwarts Legacy might throw some off, but it's just a creative choice by the game developers. Voice actors can portray a wide range of characters, and this choice adds to the diversity and depth of the Hogwarts world.
Some casual facts for you: Not only have the Harry Potter books sold more than 500 million copies, but they've also been turned into a massively successful film series and they're the inspiration for three whole amusement parks. So, yeah, J. K. Rowling is rich. In fact, she's richer than the Queen of England.
Winfrey, also on Forbes's most powerful women list, tops the tally of richest in entertainment with earnings of $1.5 billion US. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series,is second with about $1 billion US.
Who is the richest Harry Potter actor? Radcliffe is currently the wealthiest actor from the Harry Potter franchise. The rest of the main kid cast's ranking, in order from highest to lowest estimated net worth, is: Emma Watson at $85 million.
How much did Daniel Radcliffe make from Harry Potter?
Daniel Radcliffe earned $1 million for his role in the first Harry Potter film, with his pay increasing substantially with each sequel to a whopping $50 million for the last two movies.
Although Disney would try to correct this mistake by trying to buy the movie rights, theme park privileges and even Scholastic themselves, efforts by the company ultimately failed, citing creative clashes with Harry Potter's controversial creator J.K. Rowling, along with the deals made with Warner Bros. Pictures.
Will J.K. Rowling get royalties from Hogwarts Legacy?
The author still has ownership over the Harry Potter IP, meaning that all content created under the entertainment juggernaut do grant Rowling royalties from sales. Therefore, Rowling will in fact be making money off of Hogwarts Legacy.
Other critics have spoken out against Hogwarts Legacy's Goblin rebellion storyline, which they say perpetuates what GameRant calls a "racist-coded narrative." The franchise has previously been criticized for its portrayal of goblins, a species that is consistently persecuted in the Wizarding World.
Some game critics were even afraid to discuss the game publicly. The boycott unintentionally backfired—bringing more attention to an already popular game from a beloved media franchise, Fortune reports. As of May, Hogwarts Legacy has sold 15 million copies and grossed $1 billion globally.
Launched in February 2023, Hogwarts Legacy sold 12 million units in its first two weeks of release and a lifetime total of 24 million units with a retail sales gross of 1 billion U.S. dollars as of December 2023.
