The player controls a student enrolled at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry who learns to wield an array of magical abilities and objects.

The storyline was designed to take place in a period untouched by established Wizarding World characters, offering players the opportunity to immerse themselves in their own distinct universe.

Avalanche further emphasized the importance of making the game world resemble the original Harry Potter novels, while also wanting to go beyond known places to improve the experience.

Prior to its release, it attracted controversy due to Harry Potter creator J. K. Rowling's views on transgender people and accusations of antisemitic tropes, leading to calls for a boycott.

Hogwarts Legacy received praise for its combat, world design, characters, variety of content, and faithfulness to the source material, but criticism for its technical problems and lack of innovation as an open-world game.

[12] Next to experiences in Hogwarts Castle, the player can explore related areas such as the magic village of Hogsmeade, Forbidden Forest, or the Room of Requirement.

The trials feature complicated puzzles and dangerous tasks that require the skills the protagonist has acquired, each leading to a Pensieve, a magical device used to store and review memories.

After the protagonist completes all trials, they receive one final task from the Keepers: to create a special type of magic wand from the artefacts found at the Pensieves.

They also continue to explore the castle's surrounding areas and go through adventures with companions Sebastian Sallow, Poppy Sweeting, and Natsai Onai if they haven't completed them already.

He also mentioned that Hogwarts Legacy was designed to give fans the "wizarding world experience" they always desired while reading the books or watching the movies, without any particular agenda or message.

The open world was designed to fulfil two primary goals: to allow players overall freedom and to offer opportunities to craft a gaming experience that is highly personalised and can be enjoyed in their own unique way.

Audio production coordinator Nathan Ayuobi noted that while they took inspiration from composer John Williams' previous Harry Potter-related work, they concentrated on forging their own unique style.

The non-governmental organisation Campaign Against Antisemitism argued that the depiction is consistent with how goblins have been portrayed in Western literature over the centuries and is not evidence of malice on the part of contemporary artists.

[76][77] Writing for GameSpot, transgender YouTuber Jessie Earl wrote that those on each side of the debate should come to their own conclusions and that, while it was not wrong to want to play Hogwarts Legacy, those who did should not claim to be supportive of the trans community.

[74][80][81] Following Hogwarts Legacy's early-access release on 7 February 2023, some content creators and streamers were criticised and harassed by others opposed to Rowling's views for promoting and broadcasting the game.

[84] The boycott was declared unsuccessful out of multiple perspectives; Den of Geek stated that the issues with Rowling seemed to have minimal effect on the game's overall sales figures.

[86] Michael Deacon of The Telegraph noted that it had the opposite effect and failed to garner the attention of non-activists;[87] and Fox News claimed the game had beaten cancel culture.

[91] As part of the release, players received free cosmetic items by joining the Harry Potter Fan Club and linking the WB Games account.

[92] PlayStation versions include exclusive content like the "Haunted Hogsmeade Shop" quest and the "Felix Felicis" potion recipe as a pre-order bonus.

[93] The Dark Arts Pack, available in Deluxe and Collector's editions or as downloadable content (DLC,) includes an exclusive mount, clothing set, and a new battle arena.

[96][97] Additionally, the launch of the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions offered the "Professor Ronen cosmetic set," with seven extra items obtainable through Twitch Drops as well.

[99] In May 2024, Avalanche Studios announced a major update for 6 June, which added player-requested features like a photo mode, talent point resets, and new cosmetic items.

[121] Destructoid complimented the range of activities and unlockables but found the game sometimes unimpressive, contributing to the experience of being wrapped in an unsatisfatory open world environment.

[119] GameRevolution described Legacy as a fun but forgettable Harry Potter fan service, writing that features such as attending classes and creating potions lacked sufficient depth.

[120] Hardcore Gamer wrote that the protagonist's rivals, Ranrok and Rookwood, failed as compelling antagonists and were inferior compared to other established Harry Potter villains.

[18] Eurogamer Germany noted shading issues and rigid facial expressions on character models,[121] and CNET thought that their eye movements occasionally felt unnatural.

[128] As a result of the controversy surrounding Rowling, some publications chose not to cover or review Hogwarts Legacy,[74][76] and the internet forum ResetEra banned all discussion of it.

[171] It was the bestselling game in Czech Republic, Netherlands and United Kingdom while also being placed in the top three positions in Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Hungary, Italy, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia and Sweden.

[187] As a result of its record-breaking viewership on Twitch during early access, Hogwarts Legacy became the most-watched single-player game of all time by peak viewers on the platform and received a Guinness World Record.

[204] It appeared on multiple year-end lists of 2023, including GamingBolt (9th),[205] British GQ (21st),[206] BAFTA Games,[207] GamePressure,[208] Der Spiegel,[209] BBC[210] and The Telegraph.