Instead, Warner Bros. tapped Unbroken Studios for Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions, a separate competitive multiplayer title focused exclusively on the sport (and not quite as much on Harry Potter, despite the naming).

"Not that you’ll get too much story content out of the game. Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions offers four Cups, but the Weasley Burrow Garden Cup, set in their eponymous backyard, is a tutorial (which is admittedly decent)."

Obviously there would be cash-grab concerns, but the overall approach is interesting. There are no microtransactions (for now) and a retail price of $30. Yet, the latter makes it more challenging to garner wide-spread interest, especially with the amount of free-of-play competition. And while the gameplay loop can be fun, several issues keep it from living up to its potential, much less engaging anyone but the most hardcore beyond a few hours.

Those coming from Hogwarts Legacy will notice the graphical fidelity and presentation aren’t near the same level. The “cutscenes” consist of static character art and dialogue boxes, usually offering banter before matches. When you’re partaking in single-player tournaments, barring solitary celebration animations for each team member, there’s a distinct lack of fanfare – it’s simply off to the next match. I’m not opposed to snappy pacing, but the matches blend together after a point, especially when participating in the Inter-House and Tri-Wizard Cups.

The graphics are by no means ugly, but follow a more animated aesthetic, which works well enough for the character models. The arena structures could have used more sprucing up, but otherwise, the lighting, shadows and skyboxes look decent enough. Outside of the more famous characters like the Weasley Twins, Ginny, and Harry Potter, the voiceover performances feel imminently forgettable but serviceable.

Not that you’ll get too much story content out of the game. Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions offers four Cups, but the Weasley Burrow Garden Cup, set in their eponymous backyard, is a tutorial (which is admittedly decent). The remaining three include the Hogwarts House, Tri-Wizard and World Cups, with qualifying matches and brackets.

"Nevertheless, it does a decent job of acquainting you with the gameplay loop. As in the books, there are four roles – Beater, Seeker, Chaser, and Keeper."

They’re acceptable and offer difficulty options, but there’s otherwise a sparsity of single-player content. Team management isn’t much of a thing outside of adjusting individual Skills, brooms, and looks, and it’s a far cry from a proper Career Mode. Even the voice lines and dialogues between matches are utterly barren in variety.

Nevertheless, it does a decent job of acquainting you with the gameplay loop. As in the books, there are four roles – Beater, Seeker, Chaser, and Keeper. The Chaser is constantly fighting for possession of the Quaffle; the Beater is in charge of launching Bludgers to stun and knock out opponents; the Keeper is the goalkeeper; and the Seeker is after the Golden Snitch. You can customize each member of your team when starting, which is a nice touch to making them feel like your own.

Each role feels distinct in gameplay, whether you’re shuffling constantly between rings as a Keeper to keep your opponent guessing or racing through golden rings as a Seeker to catch the Snitch. There’s even some nice interplay, with the Keeper able to generate rings for restoring speed boost meter for players who pass through them, the Beater trying to take out a Seeker, or the Chaser helping the Keeper to ward off attackers.

Each role has different Skill categories and broom choices that lean into them. As a Beater, durability is king, because you’ll be tanking hits as much as dishing them out, while Seekers are all about speed and agility to stay on the Snitch’s trail.

"Quidditch Champions’ multiplayer is technically composed of teams of three players, even if there are six "

However, it’s worth noting that the rules aren’t “pure” Quidditch. There are six players on each side instead of seven; the total number of points to win is 100; and the Golden Snitch awards 30 Points instead of 150. Furthermore, it doesn’t automatically end the match – the Snitch is deployed several times throughout.

While I understand its comeback potential, nearly scoring a goal, only to be halted roughly a second prior because the enemy Seeker caught the Snitch, thus resetting our positions leaves a bad taste. The Seeker’s task also seems unfairly balanced in favor of the AI – even on lower difficulties, they were consistently catching it with very few issues or hindrances.

Granted, the opposing AI has its share of weaknesses – rushing the Keeper when deploying the Quaffle to steal it for a quick goal is easily abusable. At times, they stand in one position, barely reacting, perhaps accepting that you’re unstoppable.

Of course, the limited single-player is only part of the experience. Multiplayer is arguably the main attraction, and when queuing up, you can flex or play two specific roles. Wait, two roles? Yes, because Quidditch Champions’ multiplayer is technically composed of teams of three players, even if there are six roles in a match, with each player switching between two roles when necessary. Considering 6v6 was available during the pre-launch playtests, it’s baffling to see it absent for launch, especially with all the fun chaos it would have caused.

"Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions isn’t an awful take on the fictional sport and offers some fun gameplay packed with a decent amount of strategy."

Matches against real players can otherwise be fun, but they exacerbate some control issues, especially when abruptly turning or drifting. There was also some strange rubber-banding at certain moments, resulting in some odd moments. Though they didn’t consistently occur, they were common enough to elicit outright confusion at best, and frustration at worst.

Outside of the regular Quidditch matches, it’s strange that there are no limited-time modes or fun variations to participate in (though the developer has some events coming later this month). The experience thus feels monotonous, especially with the lack of replayable single-player content.

As noted before, there are no microtransactions in Quidditch Champions. All currency is earned in-game, with challenges doling out XP and Gold and the Season Pass grants cosmetics and other rewards at each rank. You can head to the Store to purchase victory highlights, emblems, and even full characters like Hermione.

Then there are the Winged Keys used to purchase quote-unquote heroes like Cedric Diggory and Cho Chang. However, the rate at which they’re earned is mediocre. There are currently three options available, and I don’t want to imagine how much grinding it’ll take to catch them all.

Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions isn’t an awful take on the fictional sport and offers some fun gameplay packed with a decent amount of strategy. The animated visuals are also above average, even if other presentation aspects could have benefited from a slightly deeper budget.

"Even at $30, Quidditch Champions could have used much more to keep players engaged."

Outside of the rubber-banding in online matches, sparsity of solo content, Seeker issues, rule changes, annoying AI, and so on, its longevity is perhaps the biggest question mark. Whether Unbroken Studios can introduce enough new content to keep it going while rolling quality-of-life changes, improvements, and new features remains to be seen.

Even at $30, Quidditch Champions could have used much more to keep players engaged. If you like the sporting fantasy and can deal with its many warts, this might be worth a look, but even if you won’t find anything quite like it, there are far more engaging competitive multiplayer titles that offer way more value.

This game was reviewed on PS5.

Season 0: Quidditch Tryouts begins this Fall and adds two events, one themed on Hogwarts Legacy for this month and a Halloween celebration in October. Winter 2024 sees Season 1: Defence Against the Dark Arts debuting and adding two more events – Holidays at Hogwarts and the Yule Ball. The developer is also working on 6v6 PvP and launching the Nintendo Switch version.

Whether they’ll launch together this Holiday season remains to be seen. Of course, the entire roadmap is subject to change at any time. “In-progress work,” which could mean anything from bug fixes to new features, also isn’t included. Stay tuned for more details in the coming weeks.

Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions is available for Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS4, PS5, and PC. Check out the overview trailer here for more details on its gameplay.

Based on the sport from the Harry Potter universe, Quidditch Champions features the same four positions – Beater, Keeper, Seeker, and Chaser – with characters like Potter, Ron Weasley, and Draco Malfoy available. Of course, you can also create an avatar and join any of the four Houses.

From there, players can participate in PvP and co-op or journey from amateur Quidditch play to headlining the Quidditch World Cup in solo play. Hogwarts Legacy players who connect their WB Games account can also receive the Bonus Legacy Pack, which includes a playable Sebastian Sallow and the Moontrimmer Broom Skin.

WB Games and Unbroken Studios also confirmed via press release that the Nintendo Switch version is launching in Holiday 2024. Stay tuned for more details in the coming months.

In addition to touching on the basics – like the different positions and their unique play styles – the walkthrough also goes into detail about the different options the game will offer across solo, local, and online modes. And of course, it also ensures to reiterate that the game will feature no microtransactions.

The walkthrough also reveals some interesting rule changes that might some raise some eyebrows within the Potter fandom. In-universe, catching the Golden Snitch instantly ends the match, while also netting the Seeker who catches it with 150 points for their team. In Quidditch Champions, however, catching the Snitch will only rewards you with 30 points, and the only way to end the game is for the time to run out, or for one of the teams to get to 100 total points. Check out the walkthrough below for more details. 

Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions launches on September 3 for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One and PC, and is also in development for the Nintendo Switch. It will also be free with PlayStation Plus in September.

The trailer also goes on to mirror scenes from the Harry Potter movies in the game, including iconic scenes like the first time Potter gets on his flying broomstick.

Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions has been getting quite a bit of marketing leading up to its September 3 release date, with another trailer having come out earlier this month. That trailer focused on the Triwizard Schools, including Hogwarts, as well as Beauxbatons Academy of Magic, and Durmstrang Institute.

Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions is coming to PC, PS4, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S, and is also in the works for Nintendo Switch. The publisher has also previously stated that there are no current plans to bring microtransactions to the game.

In addition to showcasing what the game is going to look like in action, this newest trailer focuses on the three Triwizard magical schools that players will be able to play as and against, and showing each of their arenas where games will be played.

There’s the Pyrenees Mountain Valley at the Beauxbatons Academy of Magic, the icy locales of Durmstrang Institute under the Northern Lights, and of course, the familiar grounds of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Check out the trailer below for a glimpse of all three arenas. 

Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions launches on September 3 for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC. WB Games has said it has no plans to include microtransactions in the game “at this time”- read more on that through here.

WB Games has released a new gameplay trailer for Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions, alongside which the company has also revealed that the game isn’t going to have any microtransactions at launch. As per a recently sent out press release, there are “no plans for microtransactions in the game at this time.”

Presumably, that means the publisher is waiting to see how successful the game is before it decides how to approach monetization, but at least at launch, nothing within the game is going to be paywalled. Of course, adding in-game stores shortly after release has been a common practice with games over the years, so it wouldn’t be completely unexpected to see something like that here.

WB Games has also unveiled physical and digital deluxe editions for the game. The former will be available at launch and will cost $39.99, as opposed to the $29.99 standard edition. A physical edition, priced the same as the digital one, will be available in November. Purchasing either of the two deluxe editions will net you with in-game gold and cosmetics tied to each of the four Hogwarts Houses. 

Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions launches on September 3 for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC. 

The trailer, which you can view below, offers a healthy look at what Quidditch Champions is going to look like, with the different positions of the game given plenty of screentime. Beyond that, the trailer talks about the single-player Career Mode, the game’s online multiplayer offerings, several different venues, and more. Players will also be able to play as several iconic Harry Potter characters (including Harry himself), though you will, of course, also have the option to create your own, with plenty of customization options available. 

WB Games has also revealed deluxe editions for the game, and confirmed that it will not feature microtransactions at launch. Read more on that through here.

Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions launches on September 3 for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC. The game will be available to PlayStation Plus subscribers at no additional cost throughout the month of September. 

Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions was first announced last year in April. The game was described back then as a competitive multiplayer title, where players will be able to make their own characters. There will also be customisation options that players will be able to unlock over the course of playing.

The game will allow players to take on the role of either a Beater, Chaser, Keeper, or Seeker across different game modes. There will also be a host of different arenas for players to fly through, from the Weasley Burrow to the Quidditch World Cup stadium.

Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions will also reward players that own Hogwarts Legacy with the Bonus Legacy Pack, bringing unique bonuses and cosmetics.

A closed beta is currently ongoing for Quidditch Champions, though one user has seemingly broken NDA and recently uploaded and streamed a bunch of footage on Twitch (via Push Square). The gameplay that has leaked showcases full matches boasting impressive visuals, while in addition to the sport itself, ancillary mechanics and systems like customization are also showcased, which includes options for picking your role, changing your character’s appearance, goal celebrations, broom, broom trails, and more.

As for when WB Games and developer Unbroken Studios will be ready to showcase the game officially, that remains to be seen- though based on the leaked gameplay footage, it seems to be taking shape nicely.

Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions is in development for PC and consoles, and doesn’t yet have a release date.