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- Hogwarts Legacy Gameplay Locked Behind Deluxe Edition
A gameplay showcase of Hogwarts Legacy has revealed that players can experiment with the wizarding world's infamous Unforgivable Curses if they are willing to pay extra to purchase the Deluxe Edition of the game and unlock the Dark Arts Battle Arena. Besides giving access to the arena, the Deluxe Edition will also grant a Thestral Mount, the Dark Arts Cosmetic Set, and the Dark Arts Garrison Hat to complete the players' look as the next Dark Lord.
Hogwarts Legacy follows the story of a Hogwarts student who attends the magical school in the 1890s and somehow gets involved in a treacherous journey to unravel a secret of the wizarding world. Players will be able to experience studying at the school, mastering various spells, learning to brew potions, bonding with magical creatures, and visiting iconic locations in Hogwarts Legacy.
Players Can Kill Their Enemies By Using Avada Kedavra In Hogwarts Legacy
Players who are enticed by the whispers of the dark side can venture into the Forbidden Forest and enter the Dark Arts Battle Arena to fight waves of enemies, using the three Unforgivable Curses, Avada Kedavra, Cruciatus, and Imperius, in Hogwarts Legacy. All the Unforgivable Curses are shown to be as deadly as their portrayal in the book series, with Avada Kedavra being capable of killing an enemy even if they are using Protego. Unfortunately, such combat challenges appear to only be available in the arena, blocking playable, non-cosmetic content behind a paywall.
Hogwarts Legacy's Developer Puts Restrictions On The Unforgivable Curses
Outside of the Dark Arts Battle Arena only available in the Deluxe Edition, the developer has made sure that the dark magic in Hogwarts Legacy will not be too overpowered by giving them a lot of restrictions, like putting a long cool down on Avada Kedavra to prevent players from spamming the killing curse. Although this limitation is reasonable, there are ways to circumvent it, such as drinking a potion that will reduce spells' cooldown time or using a chaining spell that will link several enemies together so if players kill one of them, other opponents will also get affected by the curse.
While that facet of the Unforgivable Curses themselves is reasonable, the Arena only being accessible by purchasing the Deluxe Edition rather than being fully available with the Standard is not. Usually, Deluxe Editions are for collectors who want extra skins or additional items, not used as a paywall for the game's content itself. Choosing to become a dark wizard appears to let anyone cast the Unforgivable Curses, but Hogwarts Legacy's Deluxe and Collector's Editions gating access to gameplay content like the Dark Arts Battle Arena only punishes those who don't want to pay more for an already full-priced game, and plan on having their custom Hogwarts Legacy student to take a morally upstanding path.
UPDATE: 2023/01/03 15:51 EST BY KYLE GRATTON
Hogwarts Legacy Gameplay Locked Behind Deluxe Edition
This article originally stated in error that casting the three Unforgivable Curses would only be possible for those who purchased Hogwarts Legacy's Deluxe Edition. It has been updated to reflect what content is actually paywalled, specifically the Dark Arts Battle Arena, which will seemingly allow players to experiment with the Unforgivable Curses without consequence.
Source: Hogwart's Legacy/YouTube
Editor’s Note: Harry Potter creator J.K. Rowling has been accused of transphobia by those in the LGBTQ+ community. Although not directly involved in the development of Hogwarts Legacy, Rowling does stand to earn royalties from the game. We would like to reiterate our for trans rights and that trans identities are valid. services are listed below for trans people impacted by discussions of transphobia.
In the USA:
- Trans Lifeline: (877) 565-8860
- The Trevor Project: 1-866-488-7386
In Canada:
- Trans Lifeline: (877) 330-6366
- Youth Line: 1-800-268-9688
In the UK:
- Switchboard: 01273 204050
- Mermaids: 0808 801 0400