The Hogwarts Legacy Discord is a nightmare

Release of Hogwarts LegacyThe game has only caused more divisions in Harry Potter lovers. It is already a commercial success with more than 10 million copies being sold. It’s also one of the most viewed games on Twitch. But the game’s release has also been marked by controversy. J.K. Rowling is the Harry Potter author. She has repeated comments over recent years that were widely viewed transphobic. Trans advocates have suggested boycotting the game in light of Rowling’s ongoing actions.

Conversations have been taking place on all sides of the internet. Hasan Piker is one of the major streamers. decided not to stream the game — either as a form of protest or for fear of harassment. Official tweets are replied to by the Twitter account. Hogwarts LegacyYou will find memes everywhere on your account. To cash in, TikTok users are creating explainer videos.

Discord is one of the most infuriating places for communication. Thousands of people spam each other with opinions, troll and flood the server with messages. Discord is a terrible place to communicate with others. Hogwarts Legacy Discord server has become ground zero for one of the internet’s most toxic debates.

The Discord, which is simply called “Hogwarts Legacy,” has roughly 157,000 members. Around the time of the release date for the first trailer, September 2020 saw the Discord post the first message. Just a few months prior, in June 2020, J.K. Rowling published an essay on her website expressing skepticism over “new trans activism.” In the essay she also mentioned a discredited hypothetical about sexual predators being permitted in women’s bathrooms. States in the USA where transgender people can use the bathrooms that correspond to their gender identities have seen no increase in sexual assaults in public toilets. Long-time Harry Potter fans began to distance themselves from the franchise over the next few weeks. Some even had their Harry Potter tattoos taken off because they were associated with J.K. Rowling.

Rowling’s heel turn and the launch of the Discord immediately collided, and on the first day of the server’s existence, fans discussed Rowling’s comments there. After several messages affirming trans rights were shared in the Discord, one person responded, “Also, can we please not have the trans topic here? It can cause a lot of arguments that we don’t want. Thanks.”

Image by Avalanche Software/Warner Bros. Games

Now, alongside the game’s release, some Hogwarts Legacy Discord members are simply using it to send messages regarding technical concerns — like issues with downloading the game or dropped frames on PC. However, many channels have turned into a heated debate. Some users have popped in with messages of support for trans people, including messages that say “trans women are women” or “trans rights” with the emoji for the trans pride flag. Other Discord members have also spammed Discord channels with transphobic comments. Polygon discovered that there were a few such messages in the Discord before they were deleted quickly, possibly by moderators.

Polygon reached out to seven of the Discord’s moderators. Six moderators didn’t respond. One mod told Polygon they would be “honoured” to answer any questions for the article, but later deleted the message. They then sent a Discord message that said, “You’re welcome! Due to NDA restrictions, I am not allowed to answer any questions regarding moderation. Wishing you the best, though!”

Polygon reached out to Avalanche Software’s community manager for comments. We will bring you the latest information when we get back.

Discord is boiling over again with chaos. There are earnest players and shitposters mixed in with a game of whack-amole with targeted hatred.

Stand-alone messages about Dumbledore’s “big naturals” punctuated broken conversations debating the ethics of consumption under capitalism. One user pleaded, “Let’s just talk about the game. Period the end leave real world stuff out of this.” Meanwhile, Polygon observed someone send a support message for the gay ’ship of Sonic and Shadow from Sonic the Hedgehog.

Twitch is another platform that heavily features spammy conversations in real time. Twitch however, only one streamer acts as the central point for discussion. Discord doesn’t automatically relegate threads to another window, so all replies to a specific message just get sent to everyone in the main channel, often impeding consistent back-and-forth conversations. Even if people are talking back and forth, it’s often interrupted by dozens of other messages, allowing for little focus on anything.

Consider the controversy surrounding Hogwarts Legacy, it’s unclear why this Discord server exists at all, or in this form. And how moderators are trying to rescue the situation. While Discord has tools that allow moderators to control channels and limit conversation from users, it’s unclear which are being used.

Polygon looked for information about the Discord’s goals and purpose. We read through the server’s welcome, announcements, server updates, rules, and FAQ channels. A Warner Bros. Games community manager posted on the server in April 2022. Hogwarts Legacy Discord server asking people to apply to be moderators, and said that mods could help make the community “a safe, inclusive environment for everyone.” And in February 2023, after debate had been brewing on the Discord, a moderator pointed out “increase in activity in the server recently” and shared links to Discord safety settings and mental health documentation. Polygon didn’t find any other information about the Discord or its intended purpose.