Back in March, Avalanche Software released the first gameplay from Hogwarts Legacy, a spell-slinging open-world game set in the world of Harry Potter. As with most official gameplay trailers, the publisher edited the footage to remove user interface symbols and other vital screen elements that only get in the way during a demonstration. What isn’t typical is that a few seconds of UI ended up in the released trailer, leaving enough information for YouTubers and Redditors to piece together another tiny piece of the puzzle well before the game’s official release.
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As noted by Video Games Chronicle, German YouTuber Agito was one of the first to find the UI elements in the footage from March and alter them to be more easily viewable. The HUD, which features a quartet of selectable spells and a mini-map, was only on screen for a few darkened frames, but the symbols are easily viewable with a few alterations in Adobe Photoshop or Premiere. It’s nothing out of the ordinary for a game like Hogwarts Legacy, but the UI heavily suggests a few spells that could appear in the final product.
Hogwarts Legacy HUD “Leaked” from the gameplay trailer!!! from HarryPotterGame
Going from the top and moving left, the spells most likely associated with the uncovered UI symbols are Lumos (a magical flashlight), Wingardium Leviosa (a spell to make things levitate), Accio (which brings something toward the user), and Expelliarmus. The final spell is all but guaranteed considering that the icon is in use and the footage depicts it in the wizard dual moments after the UI appears. The feather icon for Wingardium Leviosa also might be a reference to the first film, as the students first practice using the spell on some feathers. Lumos was also hinted at it in some of its recent trailers.
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If all had magically gone according to plan, Hogwarts Legacy would already be out and players would know about every spell the game has to offer. Warner Bros. originally had the game scheduled for a 2021 release across PC and two generations of PlayStation and Xbox. The publisher moved the game to 2022 and added a Switch port, but it hasn’t specified a specific timeframe for the release outside of “holiday 2022.” Considering how much effort was put into finding this small tidbit of info, it’s safe to say that fans will be eager to pick it up whenever it apparates onto shelves.
