Hogwarts Legacy has proved itself to be a hit in the gaming sphere, bringing together both veteran Harry Potter fans and those new to the wizarding world for an immersive fantasy experience – but some seemingly cut content shows that the game could have been far better than it actually is. One sharp-eyed player, who went digging through the RPG’s files, uncovered a goldmine of what appears to be unused systems, features, spells, and more. This cut content in Hogwarts Legacy would have solved all the game’s most prying issues, which makes their absence from the final version equally puzzling as it is tragic.
After all, even though the prequel game to Harry Potter recreates Hogwarts castle down to the smallest details, and it sticks true to the lore of the books and movies to near perfection, Hogwarts Legacy is not without its problems. The experience suffers from several game design flaws that even the most die-hard Harry Potter fans may begin to take notice of after some time, such as the game’s overuse of basic fetch quests, or excruciatingly repetitive puzzles like the Merlin Trials. While most probably wouldn’t miss Hogwarts Legacy‘s worst side quests, the game’s files may be hiding some contents that some players have actively been longing for since release.
Hogwarts Legacy Cut Content Includes RPG Elements
According to a YouTube video posted by GrandTheftDiamonds, it looks as though Portkey Games may have cut substantial amounts of game-changing content from Hogwarts Legacy. By analyzing the game’s SQL files on PC, GrandTheftDiamonds was able to discover bundles of unused code, then further infer what their purposes might have been in a live, playable version of the game. As is the nature of all hidden files, it’s important to note this is entirely speculation – but with such massive implications, it’s worth considering their validity nonetheless.
One of the biggest revelations made in the video was the discovery of fully fleshed reputation and morality systems. This is one of the RPG’s most sorely lacking features, as players receive surprisingly few consequences for their actions; in fact, in contrast to Harry Potter canon, there are more pros than cons to becoming dark wizard in Hogwarts Legacy. While some students may enjoy total freedom, it’s ultimately a harmful precedent that trivializes decision-making, and it undermines immersion and realism greatly.
According to this Hogwarts Legacy cut content, it looks like this wasn’t always the intention. GrandTheftDiamonds speculates that the game originally had systems in place for both a personal student reputation and a House points system alike, which would take into account the player’s in-game behavior. While spells like Avada Kedavra would cause players to receive House point demerits and worsen their reputation among various NPCs, other actions, such as those labeled “BullyIntervene” and “HouseArmorRepaired” would seemingly grant players with House points and improve their reputation.
Additionally, even though Hogwarts Legacy‘s companions each have unique personalities and captivating backstories, they ultimately suffer from their insignificance in the game’s scope. Apart from short, linear relationship quests, it’s impossible for the student to accompany, get to know, or even interact with their friends and classmates. This strange discrepancy also appears to result from cut content in Hogwarts Legacy, as GrandTheftDiamonds locates what appears to be a far more detailed companion system hiding in the game’s SQL files.
On top of being able to join the student’s adventures as a follower, it also seems these NPCs originally had more relationship quests, various “Companion Bonding Levels” (which indicated how close the player was to them), and could potentially receive gifts, too – with some gifting actions even being tagged as “Romantic” in the files. Not only this, but it also appears that there were originally two more companion characters, those being Slytherin’s Imelda Reyes and Ravenclaw’s Everett Clopton.
The companion and reputation systems alone would be enough to enhance Hogwarts Legacy gameplay substantially, but GrandTheftDiamonds also found unused code for plenty of other functions. These include, but are not limited to, a crime system, which would make breaking into NPC homes with Alohomora and stealing loot (understandably) illegal; brand-new spells, such as “AnimagusForm” and Fiendfyre, which are two of many Harry Potter spells missing from Hogwarts Legacy; and even the ability to attend classes past the tutorial sections, gaining a reputation based on attendance and various in-class actions.
Hogwarts Legacy Cut Content May Imply A DLC Or Sequel
At the end of the day, there’s no way for players to verify the validity of Hogwarts Legacy‘s cut content, let alone determine what Portkey Games’ intentions were with this unused code. However, considering how fleshed out the contents are – and the undeniable improvements they would have brought to the overall experience – it’s a question that’s hard to ignore. Knowing this, it’s possible that Portkey Games doesn’t intend to keep this content unused forever, and that it was simply removed in anticipation of an upcoming DLC or sequel.
Portkey Games has yet to confirm any news of a Hogwarts Legacy expansion, let alone another game, but there’s reason to believe that Avalanche Software is working on a new project already. It’s possible that for some unknown reason, the developer determined that these extra functions were unnecessary for Hogwarts Legacy, and instead opted to save them for an upcoming title. Alternatively, it’s possible that this content may never see the light of day, or that GrandTheftDiamonds’ analysis was incorrect.
In any case, it’s difficult to deny that the Hogwarts Legacy cut content outlined above would have done wonders for the game. While the wizarding world game is no doubt a fantastic experience for Harry Potter fans, it ultimately suffers from a lack of meaningful RPG features, many of which were seemingly excluded from the final version of the game. With any luck, witches and wizards may be able to see Hogwarts Legacy‘s cut content resurface in the future, but for now, it looks like they can only speculate what the game may have been like.
Source: GrandTheftDiamonds/YouTube
Editor’s Note: Harry Potter creator J.K. Rowling has been accused of transphobia by those in the LGBTQ+ community. Although not directly involved in the development of Hogwarts Legacy, Rowling does stand to earn royalties from the game. We would like to reiterate our support for trans rights and that trans identities are valid. Support services are listed below for trans people impacted by discussions of transphobia.
In the USA:
In Canada:
In the UK: