Everything We Learned From the 'Hogwarts Legacy' State of Play

Sony's latest State of Play presentation was a Muggle-free zone. The lengthy livestream gave viewers their first real look at the upcoming open-world RPG set in the Harry Potter universe, Hogwarts Legacy.

Developed by Avalanche Studios for Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment's publishing label Portkey Games, Hogwarts Legacy takes place in the late 1800s. Players take on the role of a student at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in a realm long before Harry Potter and the gang were ever born.

It's been some time since we had any sort of meaningful look at the title, which was first announced during a PlayStation 5 event in September 2020. It had its first lengthy delay as of January 2021, which pushed it into 22. Now, it's set for a holiday release, and after seeing what's in store for Potter fans, the wait is certainly going to be excruciating.

In the new footage seen during the State of Play, players can engage in duels throughout Hogwarts with other students, potentially play quidditch, and get to know their classmates as they work their way toward becoming a full-fledged witch or wizard. That, and a whole lot more. If you were expecting a quick one-and-done Harry Potter adventure, you haven't seen anything yet.

During the presentation, Sony also showed off an abundance of more new footage, including the ability to erect and customize your own house within the Wizarding World, magical showdowns between goblins, wizards, and other practitioners of the Dark Arts, and the Room of Requirement, a secret room within Hogwarts Castle that will appear to players when they need something. 

The Room of Requirement itself looks like it'll behave as something of a base where you can craft concoctions, practice your own magic and potions, and keep your favorite magical beasts with you in a menagerie-style environment. It's your home within Hogwarts Castle to catch up with the other students in terms of ability and academics, so use it wisely.

Everything in the game is geared toward making players feel as though they've truly found a home at Hogwarts. If you've ever dreamt of receiving your own owl-delivered letter all of these years, it looks like this is the game that can finally make those feelings come to life.