Fantastic footage of an alleged Harry Potter RPG has appeared online

Update: The original video embedded below has since been taken down. In the meantime, this mirror from Twitter is still live (at the time of publishing)

Rumours are that we may be getting a new Harry Potter role-playing game after this video leak from a reddit user (who claims that they were approached in a shopping mall to watch the trailer and complete a short survey) #potterhead pic.twitter.com/dtV3e3WAn2

— Social Ghana (@socialghana) October 2, 2018

Original story: Harry Potter has stormed the video gaming world numerous times, with novel adaptations, a successful Lego series and a rather enjoyable Quidditch spin-off. A new video in the style of leaked footage indicates that players might have the chance to step back into the Wizarding World sometime in the near future, showcasing a seemingly high-budget triple-A RPG in the works.

Despite YouTuber RastaPasta keeping the video unlisted, the new footage has understandably been plastered all over Reddit, along with the written materials distributed at the reported early test screening. Cameras were verbally prohibited, but without a signed NDA and physical checks, the user supposedly took the chance to grab as much footage of the screening as possible.

The game is apparently “set in the 19th Century (1800's),” taking an open world RPG approach. Players will step into the shoes of “a newly arrived 5th year student to Hogwarts that demonstrates a latent gift for magic with a unique ability to track and identify remnants of a pottant ancient power.”

As well as freely exploring familiar and never-before-seen locations in the Wizarding world, the game is expected to afford the player a degree of choice, from their house, to their array of potions and spells split between 8 different “Wizard types.” The story will be entirely separate from that of the books and films, with Professor Elezar Fig expected to take up the mentor role filled by widely attributed to Dumbledore.

With no official word from WB Games, the video game arm of Warner Bros, it’s difficult to determine whether this is a leak or faked footage, although the quality of the gameplay itself suggests the former. It’s possible that WB-owned Avalanche Software is the developer behind the project, after an array of job posts went live last year.

One such role revolved around “a talented storyteller with a deep understanding of British culture and grammatical presentation,” also requiring “a deep understanding of gaming narrative and branching storytelling, particularly in the realm of RPGs.” Given that Harry Potter has become an icon of British culture since author J. K. Rowling debuted the character in 1997, and the game will supposedly let players “decide to pursue a path of good or evil,” evidence does begin to mount up.

Another subsidiary of Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment is Rocksteady, which is also known to be working on a licensed product away from the Batman Arkham series it’s known for. Monolith Productions has also been out a year since the launch of Middle-earth: Shadow of War, meaning its also free to helm a new series. Needless to say, don’t hold your breath for a game that might be an incredibly well constructed fake, but it is fun to speculate regardless.

KitGuru Says: Although past job listings suggests that Avalanche Software might be behind the new Harry Potter game, Rocksteady has been away from the public eye for a year or two longer, giving them the time to craft something so polished. Who would you like to head a full-fledged Harry Potter RPG?  

Become a Patron!