The magical witchcraft and wizarding game Hogwarts Legacy is just over a week away from finally being released. So much about the game is still a secret, but many within the community have also uncovered leaks to provide players with some insight into what they can expect to see when the game launches.
Related: Hogwarts Legacy house sorting: Which house should you choose?
It seems like more leaks are being uncovered as Hogwarts Legacy officially draws closer and more players find ways to obtain the game early or otherwise find the means to peek at what’s to come. Here is a breakdown of all the leaks that have been unveiled for Hogwarts Legacy.
All Hogwarts Legacy leaks
Most leaks that have been discovered so far originally appeared on Reddit. However, because most of these leaks were unauthorized, many of them later got taken down so secondary leaks or sources are all that can be found on them now. Regardless, all of the leaks listed here are highly reliable.
Hogwarts Legacy‘s map is massive
Easily the most exciting and massive Hogwarts Legacy leak that has been uncovered thus far is the expansive size of the open world map. This leak showcases the Hogwarts castle map, the surrounding Scotland area, and a separate map for Hogsmeade. Although the original post has been taken down, a short video of the map is still up.
Both the specific Hogwarts and Hogsmeade sections of the map become 3D with an overhead view when players zoom in to look at them. The open area around Hogwarts, which is the vast Scotland area surrounding the castle that has never been seen in the Harry Potter world before, is exceptionally vast and promises players a lot of content to delve into.
A different leak from an assurance tester for Hogwarts Legacy also confirmed that although the open world is massive it is not repetitive. Many players feared that certain challenges or NPCs might be exactly the same to fill in the space, but all leaks that have been shared about these topics seem to confirm that players don’t need to worry.
Hogwarts Legacy’s art book unveiled character statistics and key locations
A now-deleted Twitter post and Reddit thread showcased an array of images from a Hogwarts Legacy artbook. The details unveiled in these leaks included the following.
- The book featured a character statistic section that breaks down the player’s assets including the character’s name, level, health, defense, offense, clothing, various wizarding accessories, which mount and broom are equipped, and how many galleons they have.
- Numerous areas around Hogwarts castle were shown in this art book including the Divination classroom, the Potions classroom, the greenhouses where Herbology takes place, the Great Hall, and Hogwarts castles’ famous moving staircases.
- Some areas outside of Hogwarts castle were also shown in the art book including Diagon Alley. Whether the wizarding shopping alley actually appears in Hogwarts Legacy as a visitable location is still unclear, so this is a great sign that it might.
- The art book revealed an array of magical creatures that players can expect to see in the game including creatures like a Hippogriff, a Thestral, and a Unicorn.
The images that unveiled all of this information were unauthorized leaks, so they have almost vanished from the internet entirely. However, one Twitter user has a few of them still up that can be viewed below.
The Sorting Hat picks your Hogwarts house, but you have the final say in Hogwarts Legacy
A player who gained access to the game early leaked that if you go into Hogwarts Legacy without connecting to your wizarding world account, then the Sorting Hat will select a Hogwarts house for you. However, just as this process functions in the Harry Potter films and books, players too will get to decide whether they want what the hat chooses for them or whether they prefer another house.
This information was originally available on Reddit but has since been taken down. Luckily, one YouTuber compiled all the intel from this thread into a video.
There are customizable wands in Hogwarts Legacy
One Reddit user that obtained early access to Hogwarts Legacy answered a few questions regarding what players can expect to see in the game. In this thread, they shared that wands are customizable, but all customizations are purely cosmetic and have no practical function.
Players likely already knew that they get to choose their wand upon beginning their Hogwarts journey, but getting to customize them in some way is new information. Other leaks related to wands have also unveiled that there is a wide variety of them for players to choose from.
Classes are primarily tied to side quests in Hogwarts Legacy
Those who have already played Hogwarts Legacy have shared that classes function more as special parts of side quests that players can compete to learn new spells or skills rather than as repetitive requirements or cutscenes. They are a mix of interactive with some cutscenes to explain what players will be doing in them. For example, players may attend Charms to master the Accio spell or attend Defense Against the Dark Arts to master their dueling capabilities.
Completing quests is more valuable than leveling up in Hogwarts Legacy
The same Reddit user that shared information about customizable wands also revealed that unlike in most other games, leveling up isn’t as central or important in Hogwarts Legacy as players would expect it to be. Everything that players do in the game grants experience points, but the level that players are at is more of an indicator of how much they have accomplished around the world rather than a means to unlock new spells or abilities.
Raising your level does grant additional health and some other minor bonuses, but it is nothing that feels too major or important. Quests on the other hand are immensely important and key to gameplay because they provide players with new assets like previously unknown spells.
Hoods can be raised or lowered in Hogwarts Legacy
A few different leaks have come out from different individuals stating that on any clothing asset with a hood that players wear, they can choose to lower or raise the hood on that clothing item as desired.
You can dive underwater in Hogwarts Legacy
Players were wondering for a long time whether they would be able to swim in the magical game before the Hogwarts Legacy team shared a short video confirming that swimming was possible. But this only led to another burning question among the community as players then began to ask if diving would also be possible.
A quality assurance tester for Hogwarts Legacy shared on Reddit that diving underwater was actually possible in some situations. This likely means that diving underwater is either tied to specific quest events or only doable at a select few locations.
The Reddit user that shared this information leaked quite a few other exciting aspects of the game before then taking all of it down, but another member of the community compiled everything major that was revealed by them into a video.
The Hogwarts house you choose affects gameplay in Hogwarts Legacy
A few different leaks have confirmed that the Hogwarts house you decide to be sorted in matters. How exactly it will affect gameplay hasn’t been revealed just yet, but just as choices in general throughout Hogwarts Legacy will define how events unfold, so too will the Hogwarts house you choose have an impact on certain gameplay aspects.
Side quests vary in length and can be very time-consuming in Hogwarts Legacy
While the main storyline is central to Hogwarts Legacy’s gameplay, the vast open world is also packed with many side quests for players to delve into. In some games, side quests are repetitive and boring which had many members of the community worried about the side quests in Hogwarts Legacy.
Luckily, it seems like players won’t be left feeling bored or like they’re doing the same task repeatedly because those who have played Hogwarts Legacy’s side quests have leaked that they are actually quite interesting. Some will be shorter, but even these ones are still fun to do, while others will be longer and more intense.
One Reddit user that discussed how they felt about side quests revealed that some of them “are as good or better” than the main storyline which means players have a lot to look forward to when wandering around the open world.
The map opens up as you progress in Hogwarts Legacy
The vast map of the open world within Hogwarts Legacy won’t be available to players right away. In a now-deleted thread on Reddit, one player shared that it took them about two hours to unlock Hogsmeade and that much of the map besides Hogwarts and Hogsmeade still had not been opened.
Clothing fits the time period in Hogwarts Legacy
Because the game is set in the late 1800s, many within the community have been wondering just how accurate to the time period various assets like hairstyles and clothing would be. Those who have seen most of the clothing assets in Hogwarts Legacy have leaked that they are in fact very accurate to the time period and look very Victorian.
As Hogwarts Legacy’s Feb. 10 release date gets closer, more leaks may be unveiled. If this occurs, this article will be updated with all of the new information that is shared.
Published: Feb 2, 2023 05:45 pm