Hogwarts Legacy’s release date has delayed – but only on last-gen consoles

Warner Bros. Games has announced that its upcoming Harry Potter RPG will be delayed once again, this time only for last-gen console owners.

Announced via the official Twitter (opens in new tab) page, Hogwarts Legacy has been delayed on PS4, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One to allow developer Avalanche Software to “deliver the best possible game experience across all platforms”. 

Hogwarts Legacy is still set to release on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S on February 10, 2022, but those planning to play on PS4 and Xbox One will have to wait until April 4, while Nintendo Switch players won’t get their hands on the game until July 25.

This is the second time that Hogwarts Legacy has seen a push-back in its planned release date, with the open-world Harry Potter game originally being slated to launch at the tail end of 2022

Delay no more

Taking place a hundred years before the events of the books and their film adaptations, Hogwarts Legacy opens the doors of the prestigious school of magic and presents an entirely original story. Harry and his friends aren’t anywhere to be seen – they’re not even a twinkle in their great-grandparents’ eyes right now – so that leaves room for you, the new witch or wizard in town, to carve a name for yourself in these hallowed halls. Sure, we won’t get to play Quidditch, but the official gameplay trailer revealed at a State Of Play showcase earlier this year gives us plenty to get excited about in this expansive open-world RPG that promises branching quests, forbidden curses, and an intriguing mystery to solve.

The most recent last-gen delays are nothing new, unfortunately, as Hogwarts Legacy has already seen one deflating delay that moved its goalpost from late 2022 to early 2023. Where current-gen console and PC players will gain 72 hours of early access with their purchase of the Deluxe Edition of the game, the same is not true for past-gen users. Whether you purchased the Standard or Deluxe versions, you’ll be getting access on April 4. This is according to the Hogwarts Legacy FAQ page (opens in new tab).

If you planned to play on your Switch, you’ll have to sit tight for a brutal five extra months for your acceptance letter to arrive in July 2023. But hey, what’s another few months when you’ve already been waiting 25 years?

The delay is likely to disappoint some Harry Potter fans as, by shifting the release date for only part of the community, there’s an increased risk that last-gen players will have the experience spoiled for them by their current-gen peers. What’s more, since you can always cancel your pre-order, it could be that disgruntled fans will express their displeasure by using their wallets – especially if there’s no longer a key reason to have spent the extra money on the Deluxe version.