Does J.K. Rowling profit from Hogwarts Legacy sales? Answered

Hogwarts Legacy is a game set in the Harry Potter Universe. Although the game takes place a little over one hundred years before the series, it shares the same magical rules, creatures, and locations from the books and movies. While J.K. Rowling was not a part of the game’s development, many fans are curious if she’s going to receive any royalties for this game. Here’s what you need to know about if J.K. Rowling gets money from the Hogwarts Legacy sales.

Will J.K. Rowling get royalties from the Hogwarts Legacy game?

Given how intellectual properties work and where the money goes, it’s extremely likely that an unknown amount of money will go to J.K. Rowling based on providing the publisher, Warner Bros. Games, the approval to make this game and set it in the Harry Potter universe. Although it might not have any direct ties to the books or movies, J.K. Rowling will likely receive part of the sales from the games, based on total or a percentage over time. How that all works is determined by contracts and agreements behind closed doors, and we do not know the exact amount.

Related: JK Rowling continues transphobic rhetoric, targeting trans gamer over Hogwarts Legacy comments

Hogwarts Legacy is an open-world game, and you create a unique character that appears in this story. Your character will meet a handful of characters that have appeared in the Harry Potter books and movies, along with characters that are related to others. You can connect your Harry Potter Fan Club profile to the game to align it with your preferred character’s house and personalized wand.

These connections are everywhere. Again, it’s important to note the development team was adamant J.K. Rowling did not have any direct connection with the game, but members of her team did work with the developers to create this world and keep it linear with the books.

For anyone who does not want to support J.K. Rowling and provide her with any of the currency, we recommend against purchasing this game. This decision is entirely up to everyone on how they use their money and what they choose to play in their free time.

About the author

Zack Palm

Zack Palm is the Senior Writer of Gamepur and has spent over five years covering video games, and earned a Bachelor's degree in Economics from Oregon State University. He spends his free time biking, running tabletop campaigns, and listening to heavy metal. His primary game beats are Pokémon Go, Destiny 2, Final Fantasy XIV, and any newly released title, and he finds it difficult to pull away from any Star Wars game.

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