Fact Check: Will Hogwarts Legacy feature the iconic Patronus charm?

The launch of Hogwarts Legacy, the upcoming fantasy role-playing title from Warner Bros. Games and Avalanche Games, is right around the corner, with early access (for those who pre-purchased the Deluxe Edition) going live in just a couple of days. The upcoming fantasy role-playing game set in the iconic Potterverse is easily one of the most awaited games of 2023.

Fans of Harry Potter books and movies are extremely excited to finally get a definitive game set in the mystical Wizarding World, giving them a chance to role-play as a student at the very prestigious Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

However, some fans were wondering how much the game will retain from its source material (the Harry Potter novels). The game, despite sharing the same setting, is set a hundred years prior to the events depicted in the novels.

While the developers at Avalanche Games have confirmed that Hogwarts Legacy will feature a lot of similar spells and locations from the original novels, there are going to be a few changes.

One of the biggest changes that was recently confirmed by Warner Bros. Games and Avalanche Games is the absence of the Patronus charm, one of the most iconic spells in Harry Potter.

---

Patronus charm, the iconic spell from the Harry Potter novels, will not be featured in Hogwarts Legacy

The confirmation of Hogwarts Legacy not featuring the Patronus charm comes from WB Games themselves. Replying to a question regarding the inclusion of Patronuses in the upcoming fantasy role-playing game, WB Games Support on their official Twitter account confirmed that there are "currently" no plans to include it in the game.

"Currently there are no announced plans to include the patronus in the game. We appreciate your interest, however. If you have anymore questions or concerns, feel free to reach out and let us know!"

While WB Games outright denied the existence of the Patronus charm in the vanilla game, the way they worded their tweet makes it seem like the developers might add the iconic charm at a later date, possibly as a post-launch story DLC.

However, anything regarding the charm at this point is just wishful thinking by die-hard Harry Potter fans, who might've loved the addition of what is one of the most iconic charms in the Potterverse.

The Patronus charm is a unique spell that allows its users to take the form of an animal (usually a Fantastic Beast) that they have a strong affinity with. Throughout the Harry Potter series (even the spin-off Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them novels), there have been many characters who have used the spell, either for the good of the Wizarding kind or to align themselves with the Dark Lord himself, Voldemort.

The most well-known use of the Patronus charm is against the Dementors, making them a surprisingly useful tool for the group of witches and wizards who stood their guard against the evil forces of the Dark Lord, in the final chapters of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

Given, Hogwarts Legacy takes place almost a hundred years prior to the events in the Harry Potter novels, it is very much possible that the spell is still in its infancy and not accessible to most wizards and witches of Hogwarts.

Thus, Avalanche Games deemed it unnecessary to include the Patronus charm in the game. However, it is also possible that the developers have other plans regarding the charm and might want to introduce it with a future DLC for the game.

Hogwarts Legacy is scheduled to release on February 10, 2023, with early access for Deluxe Edition owners starting from February 7, 2023, on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Windows PC (via Steam and Epic Games Store). The PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions of Hogwarts Legacy are due for release on April 4, 2023.