Hogwarts Legacy Lead Designer Quits After YouTube Controversy

Hogwarts Legacy’s lead designer Troy Leavitt has quit working on the game after content on his personal YouTube channel was met with outrage and controversy [via Kotaku].

hogwarts legacy art
Credit: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment

Leavitt’s controversial YouTube channel was discovered last month by journalist Liam Roberson of  Did You Know Gaming? fame. The channel features anti-feminist and pro-gamergate content, as well as various other reactionary videos. Leavitt has now said that he will be leaving Avalanche Software, in an announcement made on Twitter:

“1. I have made the decision to part ways with Avalanche Software.  I have nothing but good things to say about the game, the dev team, and WB Games. 2. I will be releasing a YouTube Video about this soon on my channel.

The resignation also appears to be Leavitt’s own choice, according to the following tweet made by the developer:

To clarify: I felt absolutely secure in my position.  However, I still wanted to resign for reasons that I will explain in that forthcoming video. I’m in excellent spirits and very pleased with my relationship with WB and Avalanche.

The decision to part with Avalanche also follows insider news suggesting that Hogwarts Legacy’s character creator will feature trans inclusive options. Leavitt’s reasons for leaving the company are currently unknown, but the developer will apparently be making a video about it soon. Considering the theme his channel has presently, it’s easy to imagine what kind of video Leavitt’s about to make. 

With Leavitt out of the project, perhaps Hogwarts Legacy can continue its development controversy-free. That being said, the game has already faced backlash due to its association with Harry Potter creator JK Rowling, who has a history of making anti-trans remarks online. 

Hogwarts Legacy image showing various things you can do in the game
Credit: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment

In comments made to Kotaku, WB Games has verified that Leavitt left the project voluntarily, stating that “Senior Producer Troy Leavitt has made the decision to leave Avalanche Software”. While we don’t know what really happened behind Warner Bros’ doors, we’ll likely know why the developer quit soon enough. For now, it seem Hogwarts Legacy will remain shrouded in controversy.

Hogwarts Legacy is coming to PS5, PS4, Xbox Series S/X, and PC in 2022.

Featured Image Credit: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment