Hogwarts Legacy 2 Move Over, A New Harry Potter RPG Officially Launches Spring 2027
Harry Potter projects are always coming down the pike. Even though the movie series ended in 2011 with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2, the series never really stopped releasing merchandise, plus a ton of other side projects.
Most notably, there were the now-defunct Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them prequels, but now we're gearing up for another full-court press from Harry Potter, with HBO committing to multiple years of a TV show that incorporates elements of the booksthe films didn't touch.
In a new YouTube reveal, we know the next phase of Harry Potter is comingin spring 2027, a few months after the first season of the HBO show concludes.
By way of Kickstarter, a new Harry Potter board game is on the way, called Defenders of Hogwarts. Designed by MinaLima, the project made $1.7 million USD in its funding series, and it's not over yet.
To play, you'll choose your side (either Hogwarts or the Dark Path), with one Dark Arts player required to get a session started. You'll explore the castle in board game form, cast protective spells, and unlock doors, but the Dark Arts character can move through obstacles. Through the use of cards, you'll cast spells, strengthen your character, and draw new ones.
Here's a quick overview from the studio: "Hogwarts Castle has been infiltrated by Death Eaters and Dark Forces. It is only a matter of time before Lord Voldemort himself arrives, perhaps changing Hogwarts – and altering the course of the wizarding world – forever. If you choose to remain loyal to the famed School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, you will represent 1 of the 4 Hogwarts houses as you hone your spell-casting skills, potion-making talents and effective use of various items and artifacts to defend key sections of the castle in preparation for battle."
If you secure two defense shields on the Hogwarts side, you win. The Dark Arts player will need to pick up all the dark tokens and explore all the Dark Arts locations.
The project was successfully funded in July, but you can still back the game as a late pledge. Multiple tiers are available, with the lowest at roughly $80 USD, providing access to the base game. Tier 2 also includes deluxe upgrade components and costs $156 USD. Then there's a Collector's Edition for a whopping $378 USD.
As an interesting aside, MinaLima consists of a team that did a lot of designs for the Harry Potter film series, including the Hogwarts acceptance letter that Harry reads, as well as issues of the Daily Prophet newspaper, and the Marauder's Map. From an aesthetic standpoint, Defenders of Hogwarts is about as authentic as you can get.