Unless you've been hibernating for the last week, I have very little doubt that you'll have seen the new Hogwarts Legacy gameplay footage by now. Last Thursday, fans got a glorious 14 minutes of unadulterated wizard game action, and it really does look like everything people have been hoping for.
The game is set to offer a brand new story in the Harry Potter universe, in which you, as a fifth year student at Hogwarts, "embark on a dangerous journey to uncover a hidden truth of the wizarding world." While it's already been confirmed on the official website that Hogwarts Legacy won't feature Harry, Ron or Hermione, the devs have stated that that doesn't mean every character you meet in the game will be totally new - in fact, you can keep your eyes peeled for some red hair and freckles.
In case you missed it (or just want another look), be sure to check out the Hogwarts Legacy gameplay footage below.
"Whether it's fellow students becoming companions, professors teaching you new spells, or even some assistance from those who reside outside the Hogwarts walls, there's no shortage of friendly faces to provide a helping hand or a welcome distraction," Chandler Wood, community manager for WB Games Avalanche wrote on the PlayStation Blog. "You may even come across some familiar names, like a Weasley or two."
Keep in mind here that it's also been confirmed that the game will take place in the 1800s, which is significantly sooner than the actual Harry Potter series fans already know and love - the books were set between 1991 and 1998 (thanks, Wikipedia). So, that means that the Weasleys we do meet are certainly going to be ancestors, rather than anyone we already know, but no doubt players will still love discovering the potential origins of their favourite characters.
Even though the Weasley family are the only ones who've been mentioned by name, note that the devs specifically said "familiar names", as in, plural. So, there's gotta be a bunch more ancestors hidden in the game too, right? In fact, Dumbledore was apparently 115 in the books, so depending on when exactly in the 1800s the game is set, we could even meet him as a child. You know fans would go wild for that. Could he even be a student in the school at the same time as us? We'll just have to wait and see - the game is set to release in "holiday 2022".
Featured Image Credit: Avalanche Software, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, Warner Bros. PicturesTopics: Harry Potter, Hogwarts Legacy