Why can't you play Quidditch in Hogwarts Legacy? Real and fictional reasons
No Golden Snitch for you.
Hogwarts Legacy is full of places to visit and things to do, giving players the chance to dabble in most of what they know and love from the wizarding world of Harry Potter.
We say most as Quidditch is mysteriously not a part of the open-world game and we can’t shake the feeling that this was a missed opportunity, especially given that you can fly around on broomsticks and take part in races with them.
As we put it in our review, “the lack of Quidditch does feel like a missed opportunity. Here’s hoping there’s a DLC or sequel coming that can add that.” A Quidditch DLC would make the game truly soar, but why isn’t the magical sport in the game in the first place?
Below, you’ll find all the reasons why there is no Hogwarts Legacy Quidditch mode, including what the developers have said, the in-game reason, and a list of Harry Potter games with Quidditch included if you really want to give it a (digital) go.
This article is part of our free Hogwarts Legacy walkthrough guide. To unlock your complete companion to the game, click here.
Why did the developers not put Quidditch in Hogwarts Legacy?
The development team has not clarified why there is no Quidditch in Hogwarts Legacy. All that has been officially said on the matter comes in the official FAQ about the game: “Quidditch is not playable in Hogwarts Legacy.”
The FAQ does expand by explaining that “broom flight for traversal and broom race challenges are part of the game”. Why go through the effort of letting us fly on brooms but not let us play Quidditch, one of the most memorable aspects of the franchise?
If we had to guess the reason for this, the easy answer is that adding Quidditch to the already massive game would have taken a huge amount of extra work. This would have meant a more bloated budget, and longer development time, and clearly the developers found a core story that didn't require the sport to occur.
The Quidditch pitch is still there, though, just outside the Hogwarts castle. And there are a few time trial races you can do on your broom, in exchange for upgrades to it, so you can still get a broom-based adrenaline rush that way.
Now that the game has been released, though, there is potential that a Quidditch mode could be added in as paid DLC. If not, it could be included in a sequel. Of course, though, it could well be that there was never an intention to include Quidditch in the game, at launch or with DLC as it is mentioned in-game.
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What is the in-game reason for no Quidditch in Hogwarts Legacy?
To make the lack of Quidditch in Hogwarts Legacy sting a little less, the game does offer an explanation of why the sport is missing. Simon Pegg’s headmaster (Phineas Nigellus Black) explains in his start to the academic year speech that due to an unfortunate injury in the previous year, the Quidditch season of the year your character joins Hogwarts has been cancelled. How convenient.
Which other Harry Potter games have Quidditch?
While it is no doubt disappointing that there is no Quidditch in Hogwarts Legacy, there are plenty of other older Harry Potter games that feature the sport.
All of these Harry Potter games include playable Quidditch:
- Harry Potter: Quidditch World Cup
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone
- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
- Lego Harry Potter: Years 1-4 and 5-7
Read more on Hogwarts Legacy:
- Hogwarts Legacy review - our full verdict
- Hogwarts Legacy potions - all recipes to know
- Hogwarts Legacy trophies - the achievements you need
- Hogwarts Legacy release date - staggered launch explained
- Hogwarts Legacy cast - Simon Pegg and more
- Hogwarts Legacy house sorting quiz - take the text
- Hogwarts Legacy character creator - customisation revealed
- Hogwarts Legacy common rooms - tour all four
- Who is Phineas Nigellus Black? Sirius ancestor explained
- Hogwarts Legacy year - when is it set?
- Hogwarts Legacy multiplayer - is it co-op?
- Hogwarts Legacy Switch - handheld version explained
- Hogwarts Legacy PC requirements - the specs you need
- Hogwarts Legacy Deluxe Edition - price for early access
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Authors
Toby Saunders is a freelance writer specialising in Video Game journalism. He has a wealth of experience in the field and is published on many different websites including PCGamesN, Nintendo Life and Pocket Tactics. He has a degree in Film Studies (he gets to write about Film and TV occasionally, too).