The Harry Potter franchise has served as an important element of popular culture for 25 years, particularly for those who grew up with the series. The books and movies have consistently entertained and intrigued fans, even as the video games have generally had less of an impact on the fandom. That may change, though, with the release Hogwarts Legacy, an upcoming open-world game that looks to be everything fans have been wanted for decades.
There are, however, a great many controversies swirling around the franchise as the game nears release this winter. From the problematic history of one of the game's designers, the portrayal of the Hogwarts' house elves, and the well-documented controversy surrounding Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling, the latest stumbling block comes from the game's State of Play trailer, which featured one of the Wizarding World's most controversial elements: goblins.
Why Harry Potter's Goblins Are Controversial
The goblins of Harry Potter are one of the more problematic elements of the franchise. In the books and movies, goblins are accepted among more than the fanbase as being a blatant play on antisemetic stereotypes long used to malign Jewish people. They are described with features commonly associated with Jewish caricatures, and their placement at the central bank in the Wizarding World and status as second-class citizens (something that's never actually addressed in the series) has led to plenty of criticism over the years.
Adding to the issue are the Goblin Rebellions mentioned throughout the franchise. These skirmishes between wizards and goblins are described as bloody and dangerous, and, naturally, the books favor the wizarding side. However, the objective of the Goblin Rebellions was for goblins to keep wizards from enslaving them and keeping them from having wands, measures which were already taken upon house elves, who are portrayed problematically in their own right. Thus, the books portray goblins as sentient, fully magical beings who are in the wrong for not wanting to be enslaved and wrong for it. This, combined with their Jewish association, makes the Goblins from the books horribly problematic.
Hogwarts Legacy Adds Another Wrinkle To The Controversy
The problem of the goblins does not stop there. In spite of Hogwarts Legacy's attempts to represent the transgender community despite Rowling's problematic history, the game seems to be perpetuating this offensive portrayal of goblins and, even worse, putting it front and center. Goblins are the primary antagonists of the game, and, considering the canon history, sets players up as a hand of the oppressor.
What's more, the goblins are said to be making Hogwarts students go missing. This evokes antisemitic conspiracy theories from the late 20th century that claimed Jewish people were kidnapping children. Though this was likely added to the game to make the goblins more of an evil force and less a group fighting for their rights against an oppressive regime, the real-world connection makes it either incredibly careless or outright malicious.
Ultimately, fans will have to judge for themselves whether Hogwarts Legacy is worth playing despite the various controversies and problematic content. It's possible that the early looks at the game aren't providing a full picture, and the game will actually address the subject of goblins with a defter hand than has been shown so far. However, what has been shown doesn't inspire much confidence, and it seems that the franchise's long history of carelessly playing into antisemetic tropes will, unfortunately, continue.