Hogwarts Legacy provides an amazing rendition of the magical world described in the Harry Potter novels. Players get to explore Hogwarts castle where they can hone their magical skills, befriend fellow witches and wizards in training, and even tame magical creatures. Despite how accurately the world has been constructed, there are a few conspicuously absent elements, including the House Cup, which is an important part of school life in the first few novels.
The inclusion of the House Cup would have helped to make the world of Hogwarts Legacy feel more immersive. It would have also allowed players to engage with their chosen house more. With a bit of creativity, it could have even been used to allow players around the world to compete in challenges, settling the debate surrounding which Hogwarts house is the best or most popular.
Why Didn't Hogwarts Legacy Feature the House Cup?
Before Hogwarts Legacy's release, developers did a gameplay reveal where they explained that due to the massive scope of the Harry Potter universe, it would have been impossible to include every little detail. Hence, although it would have been nice to play Wizard's Chess in Hogwarts Legacy or compete for the House Cup, there simply wasn't enough time, manpower, or resources for these features to make the final cut. Nevertheless, developers do make references to these tidbits of wizarding life within the game.
It may have also been thematically relevant to leave out the House Cup. In the novel series, the House Cup is only prominent in the first few novels, and after Prisoner of Azkaban, it is hardly mentioned at all. This represents a tonal shift in the series as Harry and his friends begin to set their sights on more serious issues. With players arriving in their fifth year, and with a plot featuring plenty of dark magic, it feels right that the House Cup should take a backseat. Nevertheless, the House Cup could have served many useful purposes had it been utilized correctly.
The House Cup Represents a Missed Opportunity
Although it makes sense that the House Cup did not play a prominent role in Hogwarts Legacy, it could have been used quite cleverly to encourage engagement between players and finally settle the debate surrounding which Hogwarts Legacy house is the most popular. Within several Harry Potter fandoms, including Reddit, fans sort themselves into the four houses and compete for the House Cup. Hogwarts Legacy could have implemented something similar and had gamers around the world partake in occasional in-game challenges.
At the end of each school year, the house with the most points would be the proud recipient of the House Cup. This would keep gamers coming back to Hogwarts Legacy, in addition to making players care a lot more about which house they pick. It appears that Slytherin is the most picked house in Hogwarts Legacy, although this could change as players discover more about what each of the houses offers. With a House Cup, players may even learn that the house with the most gamers isn't necessarily the best.
Avalanche Software has decided to take a different route where players are free to pick whatever house they please, and restarting the game in a different house is simple, as there are multiple save slots. This strategy is also good, as developers have been able to provide the different houses with exclusive content. Nevertheless, the House Cup is sorely missed, and it should play a larger role in future games.
Hogwarts Legacy is available on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S. It is scheduled to launch on PS4 and Xbox One on April 4, and it will launch on the Switch on July 25.
