Writer Confirms Whomping Willow Won’t Be In Hogwarts Legacy

One major concern for many Harry Potter fans is the treatment of the source material; whether it be the movies, the spinoffs, or games, the sanctity of canon is important to quite a number of magic-loving muggles. After all, suspension of disbelief is much easier when a fantasy world is at least internally consistent.

With that in mind, we’re pleased to inform you that the writers behind Hogwarts Legacy sound like they’re taking established canon seriously. In a recent tweet, writer DC Allen confirmed that the Whomping Willow was not going to be in Hogwarts Legacy, pointing out that the Shrieking Shack wasn’t even around yet:

oh wow I didn’t hear about the whomping willow. that’s a rookie mistake. we know better than to use that. the shrieking shack wasn’t around yet either

– DCAllen (@DCAllen7) June 17, 2021

We already know the team at Avalanche Software is taking the narrative design process very seriously, and this is just more evidence that Hogwarts Legacy is in good hands. It sounds like the art team created the promotional image without consulting the writers, and that’s why the Whomping Willow managed to find its way into some of the game’s art.

It’s also worth noting that DC Allen claims to call Hogwarts Legacy “Hog Leg” for short, and is trying to make it catch on, so if you like the nickname, do your part! Personally, I’m going to stick to calling it by its full name.