Summary
TheHarry Potterfranchise not only delivered the nostalgic EA games during the 2000s, but 2023’sHogwarts Legacyfrom Avalanche Software was also a modern success. Now, American developer Volition, the studio behind theSaints Rowseries, has revealed aBaldur’s Gate-styledHarry Pottergame it was working on once upon a time that ultimately got shelved, and there’s secret footage to prove this endeavor is not just myth.
Hogwarts Legacyhas been fulfillingHarry Potterfans’ dreams for two years now, and the title will be given a second wind on the Nintendo Switch 2 console when it releases on July 03, 2025. The magical title joins an eye-widening list ofconfirmed Nintendo Switch 2 games, including new releases, Nintendo exclusives, and third-party gems, and the catalog is so large the Room of Requirement would have trouble storing them all. Some of the most anticipated additions to the successor console include launch titleMario Kart World,Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, and FromSoftware’s new IP,The Duskbloods.
Reported by GamesRadar+, The Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester, New York, hosted a tour that revealed footage of Volition’s scrappedHarry Pottergame, presented by the museum’s director of digital preservation, Andrew Borman. The publication described the footage as having PS1-era graphics, showcasing Harry and Hagrid navigating a half-baked town. Environments and character models were compared to those found in aBaldur’s Gate-styled top-down game. Since very few will ever know what Volition’sHarry Pottergame looked like, fantasy fans will hopefully garner a newfound appreciation for Avalanche’s adaptation, andHogwarts Legacyhas already got confirmed specs for the Switch 2.
Both theDungeons and Dragons-based franchise and the wizarding world IP have crossed paths before, when oneHarry Pottervillain actor was hired to voice a role inBaldur’s Gate 3, but Volition’s endeavor is thought to have been developed beforeHarry Potterand the Sorcerer’s Stonehit theaters in 2001. According to Borman, it only took the team a couple of weeks to create the presented footage, just enough for Volition and THQ to present the pitch.
In addition toHogwarts Legacy’s Switch 2 debut, wizards, witches, and muggles alike have another spectacle to look forward to. HBO’sHarry Potterreboot may have found its golden trio, who will helm the network’s retelling of The Boy Who Lived story. Since the original films are so beloved, theHarry Pottercommunity has been very vocal about recent casting choices, including confirmed Professor Albus Dumbledore and Severus Snape roles going to John Lithgow and Paapa Essiedu, respectively.
