Finally Gives Fans The Quidditch Chaos They’ve Been Waiting For

The latest release by Unbroken Studios, Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions, promises to deliver one of the few major things missing from Warner Bros. Games’ last Harry Potter title, Hogwart’s Legacy. Though Hogwarts Legacy had plenty to offer players who had dreamed of attending Hogwarts themselves, many were quick to voice their disappointment about the missing opportunity to participate in the Wizarding World’s biggest sport, Quidditch.
Given that Harry himself is so involved in the Quidditch scene, there’s no question that players are jumping at the chance to see how they might fair on the Quidditch Pitch too. Thankfully, Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions seems to have done more than just remedy some past disappointments; it has completely surpassed the expectations of what fans were hoping for in other games of the franchise.
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Though highly requested, featuring Quidditch as a mini-game inside a larger project wouldn’t have given this chaotic sport the attention it deserves, and it likely would’ve been a simplified mess. Played exclusively on brooms, Quidditch is just as wild and magical as you could hope a Wizard sport might be while being every bit as complex as traditional sports, and this game has managed to capture that masterfully.
A Prior Knowledge of Quidditch Feels Necessary
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It’s obvious right from the start that Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions expects its players to have some vague understanding of what Quidditch is before playing. Upon beginning the game, players will be greeted by Ginny Weasley, who marks the start of a lengthy tutorial that goes over each of the four positions in Quidditch. While each position is vaguely explained, the tutorial is mostly designed to teach you how the controls work and not the general rules of the game. Even though this feels a little unfair to new players, this fact can almost be forgiven, since it’s unlikely that someone might pick this game up having never heard of Harry Potter.
That being said, even with background knowledge of Quidditch, there are some minor differences in this game, particularly in score and team dynamics. While matches in Harry Potter typically end once the Snitch has been caught, given its point value of 150, that doesn’t translate well into a game format where it would make almost every other position obsolete. To remedy this, the Snitch is instead worth 30 points, and it does not automatically end the game either. Instead, the Snitch can be caught multiple times during a single game, but will only appear during pre-determined points in the match.
Though some of the changes to Quidditch in this game seem strange on the surface, they are well-thought-out decisions that help to create an overall balanced game for all players.
As for team dynamics, the only notable change is the loss of one Beater, and so, instead of teams of 7, players have teams of 6. Though some of the changes to Quidditch in this game seem strange on the surface, they are well-thought-out decisions that create an overall balanced game for all players. Having a team of 6 allows the PVP matches to run smoothly, since players can operate in a 3v3 format with each player occupying a Chaser position and splitting the remaining 3 positions evenly. This allows everyone to have the chance to score goals while offering additional support to the team.
Controls Feel Perfectly Suited For The Chaotic Nature Of Quidditch
Initially, I did have some concerns that the controls may be too sensitive to make something as difficult as a flying sport playable. However, though my first impressions were rough, the more I learned the specific mechanics of each position, the easier it became to master the ability to keep up with what was going on at any given time, despite how chaotic everything felt. Other than a few unique controls, most of the positions have the same general movements, and after a little practice, I found myself with a new appreciation of the sensitive controls, as they allowed for better adaptability.
It’s worth noting, however, that each position offers varying difficulty, so players who are not super comfortable speeding around the Quidditch Pitch avoiding Bludgers can simply opt for playing as a Keeper, which allows them minimal movement and more focus on just watching the ball. Therefore, regardless of a player’s strengths and weaknesses, there is a position for everyone and players also have the freedom to swap between them at any given moment at the press of a button. This allows dedicated players to control every aspect of the game offensively and defensively, while also providing casual players with the option of sticking to positions they like and leaving the others to their team.
Repetitive Gameplay Can Be Overlooked Due To A Worthy Incentive To Keep Playing
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Perhaps my largest concern with a game like this is whether it becomes repetitive after playing a handful of matches, but surprisingly, the answer is no. Though all the matches are fundamentally the same thing, as players work through the different Quidditch Cup tournaments, opponents will change and so will their play styles. While one opposing team may focus on guarding, another may opt for a more aggressive play, forcing players to adapt to each unique match. This, plus the ability to upgrade team members’ skills as you progress, is enough to keep things interesting while playing matches back-to-back.
Beyond just the gameplay, perhaps the biggest incentive to keep playing is the reward system. Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions has plenty to unlock and absolutely no microtransactions, allowing players to be thoroughly rewarded simply for playing the game. The method for unlocking rewards in-game is done by progressing in the season pass as you play matches or using your in-game currency to purchase specific items. Rewards vary wildly and include everything from unlocking familiar characters like Cedric Diggory to acquiring unique customizations, such as the Paper Hagrid mask, a meme reference to early Harry Potter game graphics.
It is worth noting, however, that while there are no microtransactions, there are a handful of things rewarded to players via outside means. One example is that those who have also purchased Hogwarts Legacy will receive a few exclusive customization options as well as Sebastian Sallow, a notable character from the game. Outside of that, players can also unlock some house-specific customizations for their custom characters simply by connecting their Harry Potter Fan Club account to their Warner Bros. account, the latter of which is required to play Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions.
The most exciting setting that Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions gives video game fans is something they have never seen before; a detailed look at Durmstrang and Beauxbatons.
The last thing that may keep long-time Harry Potter fans engaged is the setting. Though every match takes place on a Quidditch Pitch, players are greeted with beautiful views of familiar sites, including The Weasley Burrow and even Hogwarts, where Harry himself has played. However, the most exciting setting that Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions gives video game fans is something they have never seen before; a detailed look at Durmstrang and Beauxbatons. Though these schools visit Hogwarts, fans have never been allowed the opportunity to visit them in a game, until now. This game gives us the first official imagining of these schools, and it’s breathtaking to set eyes on after all this time.
Final Thoughts & Rating
This game is entirely geared towards fans of the franchise. Those with no previous understanding of Quidditch, or interest in Harry Potter, will likely have a difficult time with the game overall and not find much enjoyment in it. On the other hand, for fans of the franchise, this is potentially the greatest iteration of Quidditch we could hope to see in a video game. It’s polished and responsive and offers plenty of subtle nods to the things that made Harry Potter so special in the first place. Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions is the secret hidden gem that nobody expected from this franchise.
Most importantly, if you believe you wouldn’t like this simply because you’re not much of a person for sports games, this is not like any other sports game out there. As someone who fails miserably at any sports game I’ve ever picked up, this was not only incredibly fun but easy to get the hang of with a little practice. Perhaps the only thing notably missing from Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions is the beloved sassy commentary of Lee Jordan while you carry out your match, under the close supervision of Professor McGonagall, of course.
Screen Rant was provided with a PlayStation 5 code of Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions for the purpose of this review.