While some actors and characters were confirmed before release,Hogwarts Legacy’s credits list Greg Ellis as one of the many actors to work on the game, with Ellis expressing his joy of working on the game over the past few years and thanking J.K. Rowling for creating the world. Ellis is perhaps best known for his roles inPirates of the Caribbean, J.J Abrams' 2009Star Trekfilm, andForsaken,but he has worked on many video games too. Many may, in fact, recognize him as the voice of thepopular character Cullen Rutherford from theDragon Ageseries.While Cullen, the character, is beloved among the fan base, Ellis found himself embroiled in controversy regarding his personal views and his use of the character Cullen to insult a BioWare dev. Ellis found himself supporting J.K. Rowling when several of her believed-to-be transphobic beliefs were aired back in 2019, and then sometime in 2020 following a series of vague tweets,Ellis and formerDragon Ageseries executive producer Mark Darrahgot into a public spat. When Darrah announced his departure from BioWare, Ellis claimed that it was a “relief for many”, that he was being forced to resign, and that he was a “disloyal, duplicitous corporate fake.” Shortly after, Ellis took to his personal YouTube channel to blast “cancel culture,” all while in the character of Cullen.RELATED:Dragon Age: Dreadwolf Footage Leaks OnlineEllis has reportedly worked onHogwarts Legacyfor the past three years, meaning that his role there began sometime around these events taking place. After Rowling thanks him for his support, he thanked her again and echoed an old tweet of his where he claimed he was “canceled by a virulent strain of my own fans who called me a misogynist, racist, and transphobe.” His new tweet further claimed that his “support for successful women who’ve overcome was deemed problematic” and added that working onHogwarts Legacywas “prophetic.”
During its development and now with its release, Ellis and Rowling are not the only controversial names to be tied to the game.Hogwarts Legacylead designer Troy Leavittleft the team in early 2021 after it was discovered he had a YouTuber channel that included pro-Gamergate videos and a defense of John Lassetter, a former Disney executive who left after accusations of sexual misconduct. Leavitt explained, after his departure, that it was largely due to family issues but the YouTube controversy was the spark that led to his exit. He, however, was confident in both Avalanche and Warner Bros.
Hogwarts Legacyhas been controversial practically since it was announced, though a significant portion of the fan base just wants to enjoy a game without supporting Rowling and Ellis' beliefs. This controversy has continued into its launch, been tied toHogwarts Legacy’s reviews, and so on, suggesting it won’t stop end anytime soon.
Hogwarts Legacylaunches February 10 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X, April 4 for PS4 and Xbox One, and July 25 for Nintendo Switch.
