The developers of Hogwarts Legacy are addressing Harry Potter’s trans character

Developers at The legacy of Hogwarts responded to the violent reaction to the discovery of the inclusion of a trans persona in it.

A highly controversial video game has sparked another wave of controversial criticism after it was revealed that it will feature trans bartender known as Cyrona Ryan.

Several LGBTQ+ activists said the move seemed disingenuous, while journalists claimed developers working on the project considered Ryan’s inclusion “performative bullshit.”

Non-binary activist and video game journalist James Stephanie Sterling tweeted on Monday (Feb. 6) that a team member allegedly added the character to “shift the conversation from JK Rowling.”

Additionally, Cyrona Ryan is reportedly “barely included” in the video game, with Sterling commenting on Twitter that the developer described the game “in his own words” as “a rushed game with a limited license that people will understand is not Harry Potter Skyrim“.

In response to the growing backlash, developer Portkey Games, which is working with Warner Bros Interactive and Avalanche Software on the project, said IGN that he planned to include Sirona Ryan at an early stage.

“This has been a high priority throughout development The legacy of Hogwarts to create a representative and diverse game,” said the spokesperson. “The best way to get to know any character is to immerse yourself in the game.”

Ryan is first met at a local tavern called the Three Broomsticks, and serves as a sympathetic ear for the player’s individual character.

Although there is currently no actor to voice Cyrona Ryan, activist Laura Kate Dale noted that “there is one trans female voice actor in the credits”.

Virtually nothing has been known about Ryan’s existence or that she is trans since the game’s marketing began in 2020.

And this despite ​​a large amount of evidence that individual trans characters existed The legacy of Hogwarts to be known publicly at least from 2021.

This led some to question why Portkey Games did not reveal that a trans character was allegedly planned early in the development cycle with the controversial issue of trans rights, while others speculated that the character was added later in development.

In response, a spokesperson said: “As with most of the game, we want players to discover all the different elements of the story and gameplay as they play.

“The team felt it was very important to create a game that reflected a rich and diverse world Harry Potter as well as groups of people who play games, including the LGBTQIA+ community.”

Harry Potter has been constantly criticized for various problems related to the treatment of minority groups.

Activists often condemned the “inappropriate” names for minority characters, such as the Asian witch Cho Chang and the black wizard Kingsley Shacklebolt.

In addition, there were accusations of anti-Semitic tropes in a book series, especially one involving goblins.

Additional criticisms have been made on this topic Hogwarts Legacy, in which the goblins rise up against their enslavers – and so are the enemies.