Hogwarts Legacy, a Harry Potter-inspired video game, introduced its first transgender character, according to footage of the game.
Footage of the game posted by the YouTube account Gameplay Only, which has nearly 300,000 followers, revealed dialogue between a player and Sirona Ryan, who owns the Three Broomsticks pub in the village of Hogsmeade.
Ryan appears to be female but has a masculine voice. It’s unclear what voice actor portrayed the character, as they were not credited by role.
“Hadn’t seen him in years when he came in a few months ago. But, he recognized me instantly, which is more than I can say for some of my own classmates. Took them a second to realize I was actually a witch, not a wizard,” Ryan tells the player, discussing a goblin named Lodgok.
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Warner Bros. Games did not respond to the Washington Examiner’s request for comment.
While the game doesn’t come out until Feb. 10, those who preordered certain versions of the game are given 72 hours of early access. It’s unclear how Gameplay Only had access to the game.
The existence of an apparent transgender Harry Potter game character is notable. The author of the Harry Potter book series and thereby the creator of Hogwarts, J.K. Rowling, is a vocal critic of transgender people.
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The game makes a point of listing its noninvolvement with Rowling under its FAQ.
“J.K. Rowling is 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,” the website reads.
“This is not a new story from J.K. Rowling, however we have collaborated closely with her team on all aspects of the game to ensure it remains in line with the magical experiences fans expect,” it continues.
Rowling did not respond to the Washington Examiner’s request for comment.
