Some Hogwarts Legacy players are getting their copies a week early

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And those who aren't are extremely jealous

Hogwarts Legacy screenshot
(Image credit: Warner Bros Games. Interactive)

Hogwarts Legacy has broken its street date by seven days, meaning some players have been enjoying the wizarding world a week ahead of release.

As shared in the Hogwarts Legacy subreddit, some players have been receiving their copies of the game early. Specifically, one player in Germany got a copy on Xbox Series X seven days before the official release date. Understandably, this has got a lot of other fans, who are just as eager to play the game, very jealous that they've likely got to wait another week to experience it for themselves. 

some_have_already_received_it_xsx_in_germany from r/HarryPotterGame

In the comments of the post above, Hogwarts Legacy fans have been sharing their experiences trying to get hold of the game ahead of release. "I’ve stopped by Walmart a couple of times to see if they have the [Xbox Series X] version on the shelves accidentally," one Reddit user said. "I called like 10 media shops in and around Berlin and asked if I can get a PS5 copy… no luck," another shares. Others have just taken to Reddit to lament the fact they haven't got their copy yet with a series of memes. 

i_did_my_waiting_twelve_years_of_it_in_azkaban from r/HarryPotterGame

With all these early copies floating around, it was only a matter of time before footage of Hogwarts Legacy ended up on the likes of Twitch and YouTube. In fact, several fans used the early releases as an opportunity to check out the game while there's still time to cancel their preorders. In another Reddit post, one user shared that they had "nothing but good things to say" about the game, praising it for its smooth and beautiful graphics. 

Similarly, another post praised Hogwarts Legacy for its "fantastic" cutscenes, adding that the character's facial animations are particularly impressive. The post also mentions the game's map which is "a good size" as well as the game's classes which "look fun." The post is mainly positive and gives off the impression that Hogwarts Legacy is shaping up to be the game Harry Potter fans were hoping for. 

If you really can't wait to play Hogwarts Legacy, the game's developer Avalanche recently shared the release times for the 72 Hour Early Access period for console players. Meaning, if you pre-order the Digital Deluxe version of the game, you'll be able to play it on February 7 (three days ahead of worldwide release) at midnight local time.  

Although she is not involved in the development of Hogwarts Legacy, GamesRadar+ acknowledges the role of J.K. Rowling in the creation of the Wizarding World, as well as her publicly-stated, harmful views regarding the rights of transgender people. If you'd like to offer your support to the communities affected by Rowling's rhetoric, consider donating to the National Center for Transgender Equality in the US, or Mermaids in the UK.

Hope Bellingham
Hope Bellingham
News Writer

After studying Film Studies and Creative Writing at university, I was lucky enough to land a job as an intern at Player Two PR where I helped to release a number of indie titles. I then got even luckier when I became a Trainee News Writer at GamesRadar+ before being promoted to a fully-fledged News Writer after a year and a half of training.  My expertise lies in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, cozy indies, and The Last of Us, but especially in the Kingdom Hearts series. I'm also known to write about the odd Korean drama for the Entertainment team every now and then.