Hogwarts Legacy: 10 Tips to Prepare for Launch! Hogwarts Legacy is just a little over a week away from it’s official launch and the hype for the game just continues to grow! To make sure you’re ready and waiting for when the game finally drops on your preferred platform, just read through and follow our help list of 10 Tips to Prepare for Launch!
Let’s get started!
Video Guide
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#10 – Get Sorted
For Hogwarts Legacy, players can get a head start on the game, in addition to earning some neat Hogwarts House-specific swag, by getting sorted into their house right now.
The Sorting Ceremony at Hogwarts is how the school places all new students into one of four respective houses – brave Gryffindors, ambitious Slytherins, clever Ravenclaws, and steadfast Hufflepuffs. Each house has their own particular house colors, as well as a representative animal mascot.
Once the game launches, you’ll get a quest quiet early on for the sorting ceremony, but why wait! On the Wizarding World official website, link in the description below, you can play an engaging mini game that will determine your Hogwart House just like during the sorting ceremony.
You can also discover your first wand and mysterious Patronus! If you’ll link your WB Games account and Wizarding Word website account, your house and wand can be later transferred into the upcoming Howards Legacy game. But wait! There is more! Also, you’ll receive a Beaked Skull Mask and a House Fan-atic School Robe to wear in the game!
How to link your Hogwarts Legacy account with your Harry Potter Fan Club account
- Firstly open https://www.wizardingworld.com/ to sign in and create the Wizarding World account!
- Next, complete the Wand Ceremony and Sorting Ceremony and you will be asked to click the copy button, which will send you an 8-digit code.
- Go to the WB Games website https://account.wbgames.com/home and either create an account or log in.
- Lastly, enter the 8-digit code or in your profile go to the “Connections” tab and from the list pick “Harry Potter Fan Club” and follow the instructions there. You should be transferred to this link in order to connect both accounts!
- There you go! Now you should see information that “your accounts are successfully connected”.
Once that’s finished all you need to do now is wait for the game to release. When you launch Hogwarts Legacy for the first time, there should be a prompt which appears just after the title screen informing you of the cosmetic rewards you have received. To place the special house robe on your character, once you’re in the game and past the introduction, simply check your available cosmetic items under the Gear – Cloaks and Robes option in order to change the appearance of your Hogwarts student.
Now that you’re all sorted and ready to jump into the world of Hogwarts, you’ll want to make sure to purchase the right pre-order version of the game!
#9 – Pre-Order Game Editions
Hogwarts Legacy is set to officially launch on February 10, 2023 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC. You can currently pre-order the game in one of three editions.
The first is the Standard Edition, which costs $60 and comes with the Base Game, along with an Onyx Hippogriff mount. If you are purchasing this for a Playstation, you will also get access to a special Potion Recipe as well as an exclusive Haunted Hogsmeade Shop quest. Players who complete said quest and dungeon will get exclusive access to their own shop in Hogsmeade where they can sell items and gear at rates better than anywhere else in-game.
Next is the Deluxe Edition, which costs $70 and includes the base game, the Onyx Hippogriff mount, and an exciting 72 hours of early access to the game. This means anyone who purchases this Edition will be able to start playing the game on February 7th! Again, Playstation owners will get their exclusive recipe and Hogsmeade quest. The Deluxe Edition also comes with the ‘Dark Arts Pack’ which includes a Thestral mount as well as Dark Arts cosmetics and a Dark Arts Battle Arena.
There is also a Collector’s Edition, which was priced at $300. What set this version apart was the physical Steel Case for the game, as well as a Life-Size Floating Ancient Magic Wand with Book Base. As of the recording of this video, however, this edition appears to be sold out and is no longer available.
Players on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One will have to wait a couple of extra months until April 4th to experience the game, and those with a Nintendo Switch won’t have a chance to jump into the wizarding world until later this year, on July 25th.
#8 – System Requirements and Game Size
If you’re going to be playing the game on a PC, you’ll want to be sure that your computer has the right specs in order to run the game smoothly. All PC players will need to have at least 85 GB of harddrive space available in order to install the game – preferably on your SSD in order to enable faster loading times, but a standard harddrive install is also supported.
The operating system recommended for the game is a 64-bit version of Windows 10, along with having 16 GB of RAM. The VRAM can be just 4 GB at minimum, but the recommended amount is for a larger 8 GB.
The minimum required CPU is either an Intel Core i5 6600, or an AMD Ryzen 5 1400. At minimum the GPU should be either a Nvidia GeForce GTX 960 or a AMD Radeon RX 470. While these specs won’t enable you to run the game with the Ultra high graphics settings on, they should allow players to experience 1080p and 60fps with low settings.
The recommended level CPUs and graphics cards are all a bit higher level than these, but if you really want to see the game at its best you’re going to need a pricey new PC with some of the best computer components available. Avalanche Software recommends that anyone wanting to play the game on the Ultra high graphics settings have either a Nvidia RTX 2080 Ti or Radeon RX 6800 XT.
Console players obviously don’t have to worry about most of these kinds of system requirements, but both Xbox and Playstation gamers will want to make sure that they have the necessary amount of free space on their harddrives.
Those with an Xbox Series X are going to need at least 77 GB of free space, while loading the game on an Xbox Series S will require 50 GB of free space.
As of this time of this video the exact space requirements for the Playstation 5 version of the game have not been released, but it’s probably safe to assume that the game will require anywhere from 75 to 85 GB of space on the harddrive.
#7 – Pre-Loading the Game
In anticipation of a game with such a large file size, it’s important to players on all platforms that they have the opportunity to have the game loaded and ready to go as soon as the gameplay becomes available on launch day. Especially for those with slower internet speeds or spotty connections, having enough time available to download and preload the game so they can jump in and have fun at the same time as everyone else is a huge deal.
We’re in the final countdown for the launch of Hogwarts Legacy, with the game’s official release set for February 10th. As I mentioned previously, however, players who bought the Deluxe Edition of the game will have 72 hours of early access and will be able to play the game on February 7th!
To the surprise of many, the game is already available for pre-load on the Xbox Series X. There has been no official word from the developers as to why the download for this particular platform has started so early, or on when the preloads for the Playstation 5 and PC versions will begin.
Given that Xbox has already seen the download become available, however, it is highly likely that the others will be available quite soon! Keep your eyes peeled on my website at deltiasgaming.com for the latest updates on when these become available!
#6 – Game Basics
Now with some of the practicalities out of the way, let’s talk about the game itself. There has been a lot of speculation about Hogwarts Legacy in the months approaching its release. One of the most often asked questions I see about the game is: Is Hogwarts Legacy multiplayer?
The short and simple answer to that is no. Hogwarts Legacy at release will not support any multiplayer or have any co-op capabilities. It’s possible that there will be an outside chance that the developers may release some form of multiplayer content in future DLCs, but that is purely speculation and nothing that Avalanche Software have even hinted at.
Hogwarts Legacy will be a completely single-player experience, and will only feature PvE content. This PvE content is likely to be massive, however, with all of the castle of Hogwarts, the nearby wizarding town of Hogsmeade, the Forbidden Forest, and a wide swath of the countryside surrounding the castle available for exploration.
Another question a lot of fans have is about the wizarding game of Quidditch. Some trailers have shown video clips which appear to include students practicing on the Quidditch pitch, leading fans to hope that the sport might be available in Hogwarts Legacy as a kind of mini game. Unfortunately, the developers have clarified that Quidditch is NOT a playable activity in the game. The video seen in the trailers is likely from some kind of in-game cutscene.
In spite of this, flying on broomsticks is a mode of transportation which has been confirmed by Avalanche Software and your character will be able to learn and hone their skills in a Flying class. Certain types of animal mounts will also be available for players to earn and use in the game.
And last month a major leak saw information about the potential length of the game surprise a lot of fans. Estimates have placed the length of gameplay to get through the main story of Hogwarts Legacy at about 35 hours, while those who want to strive for 100% completion are going to likely need around 70 hours to complete all the quests, achievements, and collectibles.
#5 – Check out Trophies/Achievements
Speaking of which, if you’re planning on going for that full 100% completion of the game, you may want to prepare for what you’ll be facing by checking out the leaked list of trophies and achievements for Hogwarts Legacy.
There appears to be 45 achievements for the game, and as usual for most single player RPGs some are story based, some combat based, some are crafting trophies and others are rewards for fulfilling collections.
Keep in mind, however, that because some of the achievements are story-based they may contain spoilers for events in the game. If you’re looking to play Hogwarts Legacy without any bias or knowledge of any of the outcomes you’ll want to make sure you don’t read through the achievement list on your particular platform.
#4 – Brush up on Lore
So much of what excites fans of the Harry Potter series for this game is the setting – even if the game takes place 100 years before the Boy Who Lived was born, getting to visit Hogwarts and the vast grounds surrounding it is a thrilling prospect! But for anyone who is a long time fan of the series or who takes a bit of time to brush up on the lore and lineages of its characters, there may be more recognizable features of the wizarding world than just its setting.
Though it is likely that none of the main or side characters from the original series will play a part in this game, that doesn’t mean we won’t get to meet some of their ancestors. Over the last several weeks Avalanche Software has been revealing the names and lineages of many of the Hogwarts professors who you will get to meet in game, and there are a few who have family names which fans will recognize from the books!
Matilda Weasley is a kindly looking older lady with the red hair her future family would be well known for. Though her exact relation to the future Ron Weasley family is not currently known, there can be no doubt that she will have some connection to them. In Hogwarts Legacy, Professor Weasley is the school’s Transfiguration professor and also serves as the much respected Deputy Headmistress.
Another recognizable character in the game will be Headmaster Phineas Nigellus Black. Phineas is the great-great grandfather of Harry’s godfather Sirius Black and is notoriously one of Hogwarts least popular Headmasters. Fans will get to see the man himself in action before he becomes a cranky and sarcastic portrait providing reluctant assistance to Dumbledore and Harry Potter 100 years later.
There also promises to be other familiar faces literally floating around – Congenial Gryffindor ghost Nearly Headless Nick has been seen in the trailers, the spirit of Professor Binns is already putting students to sleep in History of Magic classes, and resident Hogwarts hellion Peeves has popped up on a recent livestream, causing trouble for some unfortunate student.
#3 – Prepare for Classes
School isn’t always an enjoyable experience for students – but to get the opportunity to practice magic and learn spells? Sign me right up!
Students will be able to attend all of the most important, ‘standard’ classes at Hogwarts, including: Charms, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Potions, and Herbology, along with several others. Attending classes is likely the primary way you will unlock or learn new spells and potion recipes, as well as how you may level up your proficiency in them.
Though you may be more interested in exploring the vast grounds outside of Hogwarts, you’ll want to be careful that you aren’t skipping all of your classes! It is highly likely that there will be puzzles you can’t solve, or dungeon areas you can’t complete unless you are appropriately leveled and have learned the required spells.
In addition, discovering potion recipes, growing plant ingredients and taming magical creatures will all play important parts in making sure your character is both well geared and can self heal while fighting magical enemies. Your level of strength and survivability will greatly depend on all you’ve learned and how well you’ve learned it.
#2 – Familiarize yourself with the Combat
Speaking of enemies, all of the class time and studying you’re putting in at Hogwarts has to culminate into something, right? And that’s combat!
We get a glimpse of not only a training session but a multi-NPC duel. Breaking down the HUD, you can see the use for four spells, along with a potion for healing, combos when landing multiple consecutive attacks and two bits of UI which were not discussed. Just above your health bar is a blue flame which appears to fill during combat and this could possibly be a ‘super’ or an ‘ultimate’ once filled.
There are over 20 slottable spells which you can learn over the course of the game, and these diamonds on the right are where the player can switch them in and out, as needed. You can have up to 16 spells in 4 diamonds or a combination of spells which the developers wanted the player to rapidly access a variety of spell combinations.
These spells also have cool downs which seem to go by fairly quickly and each spell will have an advancement system which has yet to be shown. During the combat training, we got a glimpse of combos and using a basic attack, or light attack, in conjunction with abilities. The combat seems to be a mix of light or basic attacks frequently with stronger spells interspersed, maybe similar to a game like New World or Elden Ring. Combat isn’t entirely light attacks or entirely spells but a blend giving the player something to do using frequent cool downs and where timing matters.
The next portion of the fight shows a group of students battling using a spell called Protego, which gives you a big shield of projection. The enemy players have this spell as well and the colors symbolize the spell you need to cast in opposition in order to break that shield and allow for damage. You can start to see that the combat is much more robust and action oriented than a simple button masher.
Another mechanic you’ll also see is when an orangish box pops up around your head just before an incoming attack. This allows the player with quick reflexes to react, and counter this attack. You can see the back and forth, eb and flow of combat, the pacing and the sheer fun.
#1 – Multiple Endings/Theorycrafting
With all there is to take in as you attend classes at Hogwarts it would be easy to get distracted with all of the spells, potions, broom flying, animal taming, and everything else there is to see and do. But there is a larger, overarching story in Hogwarts Legacy, and player actions and choices through the game can change the outcome in both large and small ways.
There seem to be two simultaneous threads to the main story which likely culminate together in the final climax. Firstly, the player character is a new student at Hogwarts, but for reasons yet unclear is starting as a ‘late 5th year.’ They’ll have some catching up to do, but will also come to find that they possess the “unique ability to manipulate powerful ancient magic hidden in the wizarding world.” This forgotten magic is now returning, and the player will have to uncover who or what could be behind the resurgence of this old power.
At the same time, the larger wizarding world is dealing with a goblin rebellion, led by a goblin named Ranrok who despises wizards for the way they have treated his people. In spite of this, for reasons yet unknown, he has formed an alliance with a man named Victor Rookwood – who is the leader of a dangerous faction of Dark Wizards.
Each of these individuals will likely have their own agenda and goals, and the player character will have to make decisions along the way which will influence how the story plays out.
Although Hogwarts Legacy does not have a morality system like those found in Bioware games, the developers have stated that the choices players make will influence the type of witch or wizard they choose to become. It will also influence the outcome of the game, as Avalanche Software has confirmed that there are multiple ways for the game’s ending to play out.
So what kind of witch or wizard will you choose to be? Will your character’s actions shine a bright light on the future of the wizarding world, or instead set the stage for dark wizards to come?
Additional Information
Thanks for checking out my list of 5 Hogwarts Legacy Professors You Should Pay Attention To!
Hogwarts Legacy has fans of the magical world of Harry Potter looking forward to February with high hopes. As we get closer to the release date, the developers continue to reveal more about what we can expect to see in the game. On Nov 11 2022, the new Hogwarts Legacy Gameplay was revealed during the official AvalancheSoftware Studio stream, and developers had a lot of interesting pieces of information to share with us, click HERE for more about Hogwarts Legacy Gameplay!
Don’t forget you can determine now on your character wand and Hogwart house! Also, you can unlock some free accessories in Hogwarts Legacy right now, including a stylish new robe, mask and more!
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