Information leaks concerning the supposed open-world Harry Potter RPG, and the type of game it will be, have once again resurfaced. Back in 2018, a Reddit user shared leaked footage showcasing the game and plunged the internet into the endless rabbit hole of speculation. The footage has since been removed from YouTube by Warner Bros. due to copyright infringement, however it has apparently popped up around the internet multiple times since then. Aside from the short clip which only a small handful of Harry Potter fans were actually able to see, little to no information has been officially released about the upcoming Harry Potter RPG video game.
Although Warner Bros. Entertainment Interactive quickly removed any traces of the game footage from YouTube, the company has yet to confirm whether or not this Harry Potter RPG is truly in development. Warner Bros. recently started a new game development label known as Portkey Games, named after the magic portals created from everyday objects within the Harry Potter universe. So far, Portkey Games has only released two mobile video game titles, but has confirmed it will be releasing software for consoles in the future. It is unclear whether Portkey Games is behind the Harry Potter RPG or if Warner Bros. has entrusted the game to another studio.
According to IGN, the information from past leaks reveals this new Harry Potter video game RPG will be a third-person, open-world title in which players can create their own witch or wizard. As most RPGs incorporate a class system, there are apparently eight different types of playable wizards in the game. Speculation suggests players will specialize in one of the various schools of magic from the Harry Potter series, such as transfiguration or potion brewing. Players also are given the opportunity to choose a moral path and lead their character towards good or evil. This could lead to some very unique character customization options, and players may not have to create a snobby Slytherin student in order to become a dark wizard.
One interesting piece of leaked information suggests that the Harry Potter RPG may take place long before Harry’s birth. The game apparently takes place during the 1800's. If this is true, fans would be able to explore parts of the wizarding world never seen or spoken of in the films or novels. The studio behind the game would have the freedom to put its own spin on the world and add a new layer of historical charm to the Hogwarts we know and love. The game’s time period will have a massive impact on the characters and familiar faces players interact with from the Harry Potter series. If the game truly takes place in the late 19th Century, players could potentially encounter a teenage Albus Dumbledore.
Fans also speculate that a Harry Potter video game taking place in the past could further build upon the ancestry of Tom Riddle, the former Hogwarts student who would one day be known as Lord Voldemort. Many of the characters in J.K. Rowling’s fictional world have elaborate family history, such as Harry’s godfather Sirius Black. The amount of untouched material just waiting to be expanded upon within the universe of Harry Potter is seemingly limitless. Fans of Harry Potter and RPGs alike eagerly await this title’s official announcement, and the chance to explore a completely original world within J.K. Rowling’s fantasy.
Source: IGN