Hogwarts Legacy won’t punish players for using “evil” Unforgivable Curses

Philip Trahan
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Hogwarts Legacy developers have confirmed there won’t really be consequences for players who freely use the three Unforgivable Curses.

Hogwarts Legacy is nearly here and fans are starting to learn more and more about the world Avalanche Software has fleshed out for Harry Potter fans.

One thing that many players were eager to learn about were the Unforgivable Curses—which are three of the most dangerous spells in the Harry Potter universe usually performed by evil witches and wizards.

It seems players will be able to use these dangerous spells to their heart’s content if they want, as members of Avalanche Software have confirmed there is no real punishment for using them throughout the game.

Hogwarts Legacy devs explain lack of morality system

In an interview with the publication GamesRadar, Hogwarts Legacy’s Narrative Director Moira Squier and Lead Designer Kelly Rowland went into detail on why players won’t be punished for using the Unforgivable Curses freely.

“We knew that many players have always wanted to play as Dark witches and wizards, and this option allows them to do so,” said Squier. Rowland also explained that the focus on player choice was paramount for the development team.

“This is because it is the ultimate embodiment of role-playing; allowing the player to be evil. Additionally, this was important because it comes from a place of non-judgment by the game creators. If you want to be evil, be evil,” said Rowland.

Hogwarts Legacy Sebastian Sallow Companion Quest Line Unforgivable Curses
In Hogwarts Legacy, Sebastian Sallow will be integral to learning the Unforgivable Curses.

It’s important to note that players won’t be able to just sling around the most deadly spells in the Wizarding World like normal, though. According to Rowland, “Characters will react visually and audibly to seeing the player cast an Unforgivable…” Still, she confirmed that there is no morality system that will punish players for using these specific spells.

So while characters in the overworld will react to a Hogwarts student casting these evil spells out and about, it seems there won’t be any major penalties for those who want to roleplay as a Dark witch or wizard.

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About The Author

Philip is a Staff Writer at Dexerto based in Louisiana, with expertise in Pokemon, Apex Legends, and general gaming industry news. His first job in the games industry was as a reviewer with NintendoEverything.com while attending college. After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication focusing on Multimedia Journalism, he worked with GameRant.com for nearly two years before joining Dexerto. When he's not writing he's usually tearing through some 80+ hour JRPG. You can contact him at philip.trahan@dexerto.com.