The upcoming release of Hogwarts Legacy is predictably drawing huge amounts of hype from longstanding Harry Potter fans. Many have already pre-ordered the various editions of the game that are available, with each edition offering varying levels of bonuses in the way of in-game content, such as the intense Dark Arts Battle Arena.
While the restriction of some content to certain editions of a title is normal, fans have pointed out that some of the edition-specific bonuses of Hogwarts Legacy are quite comprehensive and seemingly important to the complete experience. These concerns mainly point towards the Dark Arts Battle Arena, which is currently locked to the Deluxe Edition of the game.
The Different Editions of Hogwarts Legacy
Hogwarts Legacy's Deluxe Edition is very much centered around the Dark Arts and the more nefarious side of the Harry Potter world, offering lots in the way of in-game cosmetics as well as tangible gameplay elements. Aside from including the contentious Dark Arts Battle Arena, the Deluxe Edition grants players access to a Dark Arts Cosmetic Set, a Thestral Mount, and three-day early access to the title itself.
The Collector's Edition of Hogwarts Legacy is predictably more extravagant, offering players the benefits of the Deluxe Edition while also including a life-size floating wand with book base, a steel case for the game, and other in-game cosmetics. While the physical floating wand of the Collector's Edition is undoubtedly attractive, the most intricate in-game bonus offered by either of these editions is arguably the Dark Arts Battle Arena. Given how interesting this game mode appears to be, its exclusivity to more expensive editions of Hogwarts Legacy is concerning.
Hogwarts Legacy's Dark Arts Battle Arena
If unlocked by a player, the Dark Arts Battle Arena will seemingly be located in the sinister Forbidden Forest on the grounds of Hogwarts. As the name suggests, the arena will be a place for players to hone their skills in the Dark Arts within a combat setting, facing off against waves of enemies to do so. The Dark Arts include the iconic Unforgivable Curses, which themselves have been controversially added in their entirety to Hogwarts Legacy.
Because of this, the Unforgivable Curses are the main source of combat in the Dark Arts Arena, with players being able to use Avada Kedavra, Crucio, and Imperio to fully test the intricacies of each spell in high-octane combat scenarios without the stakes of story-driven battles. Testing and mastering these specific spells will be imperative for any "dark" playthrough of Hogwarts Legacy, so the importance of the Dark Arts Battle Arena makes the decision to restrict it to special editions questionable. The many players opting for the title's standard release will completely miss out on the feature. Considering how the Unforgivable Curses have been such a major point of discourse for Hogwarts Legacy, hiding such a special way to use these spells seems counterproductive.
Many fans are already voicing their concerns, wondering whether this content will ever be accessible outside of Hogwarts Legacy's special editions; it currently seems that the feature will be forever locked from standard edition players. Given the utility that the Dark Arts Battle Arena will have for practicing with such iconic and dangerous spells, it seems only right that the feature be made available to the game's entire player base. Its current resignation to certain editions is a clear mistake.
Hogwarts Legacy launches on February 10 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S, April 4 for PS4 and Xbox One, and July 25 for Nintendo Switch.
