The PS5 Subreddit Has One Rule For Hogwarts Legacy
As some onlookers might have expected, the release of "Hogwarts Legacy" has only intensified the controversy surrounding it. In discussions online and in the media, some have chosen to cover the game while continually stressing their support for gender equality. Others have elected to avoid the game altogether. In the PS5 subreddit, however, moderators have decided to remove any comments unrelated to the game itself.
Since the game's announcement, Warner Bros. Games has faced an uphill battle trying to drum up hype for the game. While the "Harry Potter" franchise is immensely popular and "Hogwarts Legacy" may be the game many have always wanted, a growing number of people are deciding not to support the game because of the franchise's creator, J.K. Rowling. Over the last few years, Rowling has made comments considered harmful to the transgender community. With the release of "Hogwarts Legacy," the already-massively wealthy Rowling stands to make even more money from royalties and the growing popularity of the world she created. The game itself has been met mostly with positive critic reviews, but Rowling's reputation has clouded its success.
Discussion about the game has consisted of harassment and vitriol from those wanting to support the game and those wanting to boycott it. That's why the PS5 subreddit has chosen to ban anything related to Rowling and not the game itself.
Comments on Hogwarts Legacy can't involve J.K. Rowling
Three days ago, a moderator made a post in the subreddit detailing the decision. They said that in anticipation for "one of – if not the – most controversial game titles in recent memory," there would be a ban on "any and all discussion of J.K. Rowling and related topics in posts concerning Hogwarts Legacy."
According to the mod, the decision was because Reddit has proven far from a safe space for discussions about gender equality. They added that the PS5 subreddit and wider Reddit community are "incapable of discussing J.K. Rowling or any of her various opinions with anything approaching civility." Additionally, they said the subreddit doesn't have enough mods to filter out the more toxic comments when those topics come up.
In a pinned comment under the post, another mod clarified that the ban was solely for threads about the game specifically. Discussions about "gender and race issues in gaming" – such as the game's move for trans representation in the Wizarding World – are still permitted. However, in threads about "Hogwarts Legacy" specifically, comments about Rowling will be removed.