Harry Potter fans will have the opportunity to explore the magical wizarding world once again with Hogwarts Legacy. As the State of Play event revealed, the Avalanche Software developed game is an ambitious one that promises to give gamers the most immersive Hogwarts experience yet. Players will be able to create their own character to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where they can learn to harness the power of magic, uncover the castle's secrets, make friends, and put a stop to the goblin rebellion.
One of the best parts about being a student at Hogwarts, aside from the potions and the broomstick riding, is getting sorted into one of four schoolhouses. The houses represent different values, and they compete against each other every year for the elusive House Cup. For Hogwarts Legacy, the house badges have been redesigned as minimalist crests that can be stitched to one's uniform. While they bear a lot of resemblance to the badges many may be familiar with from the Harry Potter movies, there are a few differences.
Slytherin
Slytherin is easily the house with the most contentious reputation. It was founded by Salazar Slytherin, a wizard with a love for dark magic and prejudice against all wizards who are not pure-blooded. When Hogwarts was founded, Salazar was adamant that Hogwarts should only accept pure-blooded wizards, but the other founders would not agree. Furious, Salazar left Hogwarts, but not without leaving behind the Chamber of Secrets, a dangerous, underground lair housing the Basilisk.
The house values cunning, ambition, fraternity, and power, and its students can be found in the dungeons. Notable Slytherin members include Severus Snape, Draco Malfoy, Horace Slughorn, and Voldemort. The number of dark wizards that Slytherin has produced has caused many to speculate that it is the house the bad apples are sorted into. In Hogwarts Legacy, the Slytherin badge remains mostly the same, as it retains the green and silver colorway, and there is still a coiled serpent on the crest. Interestingly, the serpent faces leftward in the badge that appears in the films, while the newly designed badge has the serpent facing right instead.
Gryffindor
Perhaps the most favored among fans, Gryffindor House is the home of Harry Potter and his friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. The house was founded by Godric Gryffindor, who is associated with both the Sorting Hat and the Sword of Gryffindor which only reveals itself to a true Gryffindor. Students who are brave, chivalrous, and loyal are sorted into the house, and the dormitories are found in the east wing of the castle.
Gryffindor's mascot is a lion, which quite beautifully represents the courage and heroism the house is known for. The house typically makes use of gold and red coloring, which can be seen on the scarves and ties of Gryffindor students in the Harry Potter movies. Gryffindor's badge in Hogwarts Legacy keeps the maned lion mascot front and center, and as is the case with the badge in the Harry Potter movies, the lion is reared. Though both badges look great, the simplified art style of Hogwarts Legacy's version makes it feel less cluttered and a bit more visually pleasing.
Ravenclaw
If Hogwarts had a house for nerds, it would be Ravenclaw. The house greatly values intelligence, hard work, and creativity. Members of the house are usually big thinkers, but it does not always manifest the way one might expect. For example, Luna Lovegood appears to be an eccentric woman with her head in the clouds, but she knows a fair deal about magical creatures that nobody else has ever heard of, and Sybill Trelawney is often mocked by other teachers at Hogwarts, but her prophecies end up determining the fate of the wizarding world.
The house was founded by Rowena Ravenclaw, and its colors are bronze and blue. While one might expect the house's mascot to be a raven, it is an eagle instead. Rowling's odd choice in the books has caused some confusion, as the Ravenclaw badge appears bearing a raven for most Harry Potter movies, except the last where an eagle is shown instead.
Furthermore, Ravenclaw's colors are blue and silver in the films. In Hogwarts Legacy, Ravenclaw's badge uses a blue and gold colorway and decides to remain faithful to the books instead of the films by featuring an eagle with its wings spread. Die-hard fans of the Harry Potter books will likely appreciate the attention to detail, although those more familiar with the movies will probably be wondering where the raven went.
Hufflepuff
Opinions towards Hufflepuff among Harry Potter fans are varied. For some, the house is for the students that simply do not fit anywhere else. Others believe it is the house for students who are good at finding things. Officially, Hufflepuff houses students who value justice, patience, and hard work, and they are usually good at Herbology. It was founded by Helga Hufflepuff, and the Hufflepuff dormitory can be found in the castle's basement, near the kitchens. Notable Hufflepuffs include Cedric Diggory, Hannah Abbott, and Newt Scamander.
The Hufflepuff badge typically features yellow and black, and the house's mascot is a badger. The animal is meant to represent the fact that Hufflepuffs, though unassuming, are capable of great acts, much like badgers are known to take on predators many times their own size. The Hufflepuff badge in Hogwarts Legacy is almost entirely unchanged, though the badger faces leftwards instead of facing right as it usually does.
In Hogwarts Legacy, players will get to decide which house they wish to join, and this will shape their adventure in the wizarding school. Cunning players may wish to side with Slytherin, gamers who value brains will likely lean towards Ravenclaw, those eager for thrills will find Gryffindor appealing, and the rest should fit in perfectly in Hufflepuff. The new badges breathe a bit of new life into the four Hogwarts houses, and the attractive designs will make it easy for players to get behind their favorite house and fight for the House Cup.
Hogwarts Legacy releases in 2022 for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
