Does J.K. Rowling make any money from Harry Potter: Hogwarts Legacy?
The famous author is entitled to royalties on all products that make use of the Harry Potter IP.
With just hours to go until the release of the long-awaited Hogwarts Legacy, an immersive fantasy RPG set in Wizarding World, the game has already sparked a number of controversies.
Though many fans are looking forward to diving into the atmosphere of Hogwarts in the 1800s, which promises to be an otherworldly experience, others are choosing to boycott the Warner Bros. Games product because of its connection to J.K. Rowling.
The Harry Potter author has been under siege in recent years for her social media posts and comments that the public has deemed transphobic. Rowling's stance sparked public outrage and resulted in the author's absence from the Harry Potter 20th Anniversary Special, which aired on HBO Max last year. Although Rowling explained her absence by saying that the reunion was about the movies and not her novels, fans found it hard to believe that was the only reason.
Warner Bros. Games has tried to distance the upcoming game from the controversial public image of the Harry Potter author, writing in the now-deleted FAQ section (via The Verge):
"J.K. Rowling is not directly involved in the creation of the game. [...] This is not a new story from J.K. Rowling."
However, they had to admit that any Wizarding World project is considered to be based on the Harry Potter books. So the short answer to the question of whether the new game will make J.K. Rowling, who already has a net worth of $1 billion, even richer, is "yes".
Wizarding World is one of the most protected fictional IP universes. It falls under both trademark and copyright laws, and Rowling receives royalties from anything that uses the Harry Potter IP. And since Hogwarts Legacy is based on the beloved world, the author will benefit from its sales.
In addition, each new product will inevitably boost sales of other Harry Potter products such as books and movies, making Rowling an even richer person.
The debate over the success of a boycott is ongoing and likely to continue for some time. If you want to witness the heated nature of the conversation, search for "Harry Potter" or "J.K. Rowling" on Twitter. Without a doubt, whether the public boycotts the game or not, Rowling will remain an extremely wealthy and powerful author whose creations are loved and paid for by millions of fans.