Hogwarts Legacy is one of the most anticipated games of the year. Harry Potter fans have been waiting for what seems like forever to finally attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, albeit through a magnificent game instead of in real life. Following a long silence, an official gameplay trailer was released at a State of Play event in March of 2022, and fans were more than just a little excited to see the reveal.
While impatiently waiting for an official release date for Hogwarts Legacy, although rumors claim the game may come out on September 6, 2022, keen-eyed Harry Potter fans have been biding their time re-watching the trailer. There are many hidden clues and Easter Eggs found throughout the State of Play footage that only die-hard fans will have noticed.
9 The Kitchen
The Elf Dobby was a fan-favorite for many. Book readers know that once Dobby was freed from his master, he actually got a job. Dumbledore allowed him to work in Hogwarts' kitchen, located under the great hall. Elves are in charge of preparing and cooking meals for both staff members and students of the school. When Hermione found out about the Elves' conditions, she even started an organization, the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare (S.P.E.W.), to support them.
Unfortunately, Hermione wasn't taken seriously by her peers, and none of these events made it into the films. The fact that the kitchen will be featured in Hogwarts Legacy came as a welcome surprise to many, and fans may learn more about these hard-working Elves in the future. Who knows, some fans may even start supporting Hermione's idea.
8 There Are Many Fantastic Beasts
The trailer features many magical beasts, some from the Fantastic Beasts franchise and others the Harry Potter series. From Centaurs to Griffons, Graphorns, Nifflers, Mountain Trolls, Thestrals, Mooncalf, and Inferius (as seen in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows), the game seems to have them all and more.
There is also a reference to Newt Scamander. The player seems to have the option of carrying a magical suitcase for collecting and saving these creatures just like he once did. The narrator also explains that Poppy Sweeting connects more with magical beasts than with humans, which is another similarity shared with Newt, a former Hufflepuff.
7 Peeves Finally Get His Time To Shine
In the trailer, Peeves is hard to miss, but for fans who haven't read the books, they may wonder who he is. Peeves is the school's Poltergeist and is known to prank and tease students and the caretaker, Filch. Since he likes mischief, he got along famously with the Weasley Twins, and the only ones who were capable of putting an end to his antics were Professor Dumbledore and the Bloody Baron.
As fans have seen in the trailer, Peeves likes to get rule-breaking students caught by their teachers. The fact that fans know Peeves will be hanging around may make sneaking through the castle's hallways at night much harder than initially expected.
6 There May Be A Reference to Pigwidgeon
Eagle-eyed fans have also spotted a small bird-like creature in the cage of the scene pictured above. Many fans assumed the creature was a miniature Scops Owl like the one Ron Weasley got from Sirius Black. Ron's owl, named Pigwidgeon or Pig, was known for its overexcited behavior whenever it was time to deliver mail. His behavior often annoyed both Ron and Harry's owl, Hedwig.
In the official gameplay trailer, fans also caught sight of a Snowy Owl, who looked just like Hedwig. It seems safe to assume that players will get to see plenty of other owls throughout the game, especially in the iconic Owlery within Hogwarts, as shown in the trailer.
5 The Thestrals Have A Hidden Meaning
In both the novel and the film adaption of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Luna Lovegood taught Harry and his fans that Thestrals are magical beasts invisible to the wizard eye. Unless, that is, the wizard has ever witnessed death. In the State of Play trailer, fans see Thestrals interacting with the main character.
Regular fans may not notice this right away, but die-hard fans should understand that it has a deeper meaning. The fact that the protagonist can see them reveals that they have already seen someone die at some point during their short life.
4 The Date On the Daily Prophet
Fans who paid extra attention to the trailer might have found this clue. The Daily Prophet has an article about Ranrok, the game's antagonist, and his Goblin Rebellion. Although the narrator in the trailer reports the adventure to happen in the late 1800s, fans managed to pinpoint the exact date the events seem to begin, which is Monday, September 1st, 1890.
September 1st is known to be the first day at Hogwarts for students. Die-hard fans also noticed that this event happened exactly two years before Dumbledore even attended Hogwarts. This clue led fans to believe that if Hogwarts Legacy were to have a sequel, perhaps Dumbledore could be among their peers at the school.
3 Hungarian Horntail Dragon
A familiar Dragon is often seen throughout the trailer of the game. Although it doesn't quite resemble the Hungarian Horntail from the Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire film adaptation, it does have multiple horns like the Dragon Harry faces in the Wizarding Competition.
Fans also noticed the similarities between the trailer and the second film, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. In both the movie and gameplay, the Dragon's skeleton (possibly a Hungarian Horntail) that hung from the ceiling in the Defense Against the Dark Art classroom falls. Fortunately, in the game trailer, a Professor actually stops the skeleton from injuring a student, unlike Professor Lockhart in the movie.
2 Connections To Modern Characters
Fans have noticed two majors characters from the game who may have connections with characters from the original series. Professor Figg, who is helping the protagonist throughout the trailer, may actually be related to Arabella Figg. For fans who don't remember who she is, she was the Squib who kept a close eye on Harry in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.
Victor Rookwood is the second character fans suspect of being the ancestor of someone they've heard of briefly in the series. Victor is a Dark Wizard and one of the game's many villains. The fan theory is that he is an ancestor of one of Voldemort's Death Eaters, Augustus Rookwood.
1 Extra Eater Eggs
- In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, the prefects' bathroom is said to have a diving board for their bath. The game made sure to include this detail. There's also a mermaid on the stained windows just like in the movie.
- The Fat Lady, who guards the entrance to Gryffindor's common room, is present in the game.
- There are many references to Merlin written on the walls of Hogwarts, as well as various spells, Mountain Trolls Diagrams, and Moon phases.
- In the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, there seems to be a Time-Turner-inspired sculpture hanging behind the Dragon's skeleton.
- At some point in the gameplay trailer, the protagonist meets with a Goblin. There's a framed portrait of a Hog's Head on the wall behind him. There also seems to be a Butterbeer on the table in front of him.
Hogwarts Legacy is scheduled to release for Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S at some point during the 2022 Holiday period.