Hogwarts Legacy doesn't need Quidditch – there's loads to do already

The pointed absence of Quidditch in Hogwarts Legacy was a blow we could all see coming. This news was a bitter pill for many Harry Potter fans to swallow, myself included – the wizarding sport played a large role in Harry's own time at Hogwarts, so it's understandable that we were keen to get chasing the Golden Snitch ourselves. With the recent announcement that Unbroken Games is working on a standalone Quidditch game, though, many fans took to Reddit to share suspicions that Quidditch Champions is essentially cut content from the open-world RPG.

It's not like Hogwarts Legacy developer Avalanche Software is retconning it out of existence. Perched on my first rickety broom, I fly around the expansive Quidditch pitch that sits proudly on the school grounds, and after swooping through the stands and diving back down again, I eavesdrop on some bitterly-annoyed fellow students as they discuss why we can't play: it's all Professor Black's fault for canceling that year's tournament. Having met him earlier on, it's not too hard to imagine the bad-tempered Headmaster making unpopular decisions.

In-game explanations aside, I don't feel Quidditch is a huge loss in Hogwarts Legacy. I have three reasons to back me up on that, and it's not just because I also happen to loathe team sport in real life.

 Broomflight is a bit janky in races

Like all unique game mechanics, broomstick flight was bound to require practice. But, once I got the hang of it, flight-by-broom was the only way I chose to travel. Even with a controller, though, there is a certain knack to using a broom in Hogwarts Legacy that verges consistently on the wonky side. This felt most apparent when attempting Imelda's tricky Broom Challenge side missions. There's no flying skill meter or anything similar to help you get better at it, something that might have been useful in encouraging players to master the downright misery of Imelda's challenges. 

I know the whole point is that your broom feels unwieldy in these sections, since you're testing out new creations from Sprintwitches' resident broomstick expert Albie, but it still had me sweating. Flying between Hogwarts and the surrounding hamlets feels a breeze in comparison, and suddenly having to wrestle with my broomstick just to get it to veer left – NO, the other left – and still miss every speed bubble? It left me feeling frustrated, to say the least.

Now imagine that, but on a Quidditch pitch. Extra rules, extra people, and far less space for spinning-out. I'm a big fan of trying to be evil in this game, but even I would feel bad for careening straight into a crowd of Hufflepuffs and causing some nasty injuries. If the Flight Test challenges are anything to go by, my poor handling skills wouldn't even get me onto the team in the first place, so I ask you: is Quidditch really that big of a loss?

The existing minigames are mini for a reason 

One simple reason we shouldn't be too annoyed by Quidditch's absence is that the minigames we already have in Hogwarts Legacy are designed to be short, sweet, and above all else, optional. It's a relief that Summoner's Court, the flying challenges, and the Crossed Wands dueling club are the only three minigames to distract you, because Quidditch would just take up far too much of our time.

Summoner's Court, the wizarding equivalent of lawn bowls, isn't for everyone. You have to carefully time your use of Accio, drawing each ball just close enough not to risk it toppling over the edge in order to score big points. Those puddles you need to maneuver around in later levels can quickly tip the game out of your favor, too, and once you've beaten all your challengers, that's it for this minigame.

Joining the Crossed Wands club is also a short stint. You'll face opponents in a few rounds of increasing difficulty, with either Sebastian Sallow or Natsai Onai backing you up. Think of it as tennis, except swap out the ball for offensive spells. Again, once you've beaten all levels and are crowned the Hogwarts Champion Duellist, you're free to go back to solving mysteries and breeding thestrals or whatever it is you're doing instead of studying for the OWLS exams.

We've already been through Imelda's annoying Flight Test challenges, but to me, that's enough of a flying minigame. Quidditch is such a huge sport with so many teammates, rules, and not to mention the mandatory practices if you want to actually make the team. It wouldn't work as a minigame because Quidditch simply isn't mini, and asking the player to focus on it would risk detracting from the overarching narrative of the game. Which brings me to my final point…

It doesn't make sense in the overall story 

Hogwarts Legacy sees the wizarding world on the brink of collapse, and not for the last time. I'll admit that I much preferred Sebastian and Ominis's angsty sidequests over the storyline of the main missions, but realistically, I can't see Quidditch playing a meaningful role in either.

Whether or not I'm deeply invested in the goblin rebellion or Rookwood's hand in rallying the Ashwinders is beside the point. Hogwarts isn't yet the place we know so well from the Harry Potter films and novels, but we do know that even Dumbledore canceled Quidditch when students started dropping like flies in Chamber of Secrets. Professor Black's decision to suspend the tournament might point to him suspecting that trouble is afoot, or it really could just be that he hates fun. He didn't help out in the final battle against Ranrok so perhaps he was siding with the goblins all along.

From the get-go, our character finds themself wrapped up in an urgent mystery that quickly consumes every waking moment. Between battling gigantic suits of armor and uncovering the secrets of the map chamber, it's a wonder we have time to patch up the glaring holes in our magical studies at all. You're a powerful fifth-year grappling with ancient magic, but you're not Harry Potter. When are you going to find time to quell the goblin rebellion and become a Quidditch star? Are you really going to leave Sebastian loitering around Feldcroft for the honor of being beaten up by a rogue bludger? Without a total narrative rewrite, Quidditch just doesn't fit anywhere in the story.

One way it could actually work is if Avalanche launched Quidditch as a free game mode added at a later date, much like Resident Evil 4 remake's Mercenaries. I could imagine Quidditch being its own DLC or perhaps an expansion, adding replayability to the post-game stages and giving us more to do besides finishing off our Field Guide. For now, considering everything there is to do in the game already, I don't think it's that big of a deal that it never found its way into Hogwarts Legacy. You'll have to hold tight for Quidditch Champions and maybe sign up for the playtest if you really want in on some Seeker action.

Check out these other games like Hogwarts Legacy for more magical mayhem.