Players will meet complex characters from all walks of life in Hogwarts Legacy, but the actual number was revealed long ago in the books.
Players will soon be able to start their journeys in Hogwarts Legacy, but they’ll be far from alone in the wizarding school. From what’s been seen in the numerous trailers and showcases so far, the map of Hogwarts looks massive and incredibly detailed, and so there will naturally be plenty of students to occupy that space. However, the actual number of NPCs that players will be able to see and interact with could change the feeling of the game entirely. Too few students could make the game feel unrealistic, whereas too many students could quickly become annoying – and so Hogwarts’ in-game population is an interesting aspect to consider.
Although multiplayer won’t be available in Hogwarts Legacy, it at least seems that NPCs will be more than just static quest-givers. Each of the characters revealed so far looks to have complex backstories and goals, and one could even argue that Hogwarts Legacy‘s characters already outshine the books. Of course, to know for certain, players will have to wait until they can explore the game for themselves – but a concept that can be contemplated more tangibly, for now, is the number of students that actually attend Hogwarts.
Hogwarts Legacy’s School Has 1000 Students Canonically
Years ago, in an interview transcribed by accio-quote.org, Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling stated that around one thousand students attended Hogwarts alongside the eponymous character during the book series. When examining the number of characters actually named and featured throughout the books and the movies, that number may fluctuate, but this is typical of fictional work. Incorporating each individual into the storyline (much less finding an actor for them in movie and video game adaptations) is a near-impossible task. Even if it’s simply an abstract idea, knowing that Hogwarts has 1000 students goes a long way in terms of immersion.
Hogwarts Legacy Will Likely House Less Students
That being said, it’s unlikely that the in-game population – even including every character confirmed for Hogwarts Legacy so far – will even remotely reach one thousand. It would surely be no easy task, and thus it wouldn’t be surprising if the number was greatly reduced. In fact, Reddit user talldude8 theorizes that there may actually only be 224 students attending Hogwarts. The Hufflepuff common room has 14 dorm rooms, each containing four beds: which in total accounts for 56 students. If this number is applied to the Gryffindor, Slytherin, and Ravenclaw houses, this would mean that the game will only have around a quarter of Hogwarts’ canonical population of 1000.
While the number of NPCs wandering about could affect a player’s sense of immersion, it’s much more important that the students feel like a genuine part of Hogwarts Legacy. Having to navigate through crowds of young witches and wizards would be realistic, but the tradeoff would inevitably be a high amount of copy-and-pasted models. With characters as fascinating as Sirius Black’s ancestor Phineas Nigellus Black, Hogwarts Legacy‘s main focus should remain on quality over quantity, even if there are technically 1000 students at Hogwarts.
Source: talldude8/Reddit
Editor’s Note: Harry Potter creator J.K. Rowling has been accused of transphobia by those in the LGBTQ+ community. Although not directly involved in the development of Hogwarts Legacy, Rowling does stand to earn royalties from the game. We would like to reiterate our support for trans rights and that trans identities are valid. Support services are listed below for trans people impacted by discussions of transphobia.
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