Harry Potter fans have another reason to jump for joy these days. After years of relying mostly on nostalgia and merchandise, we finally have a reason to return to Hogwarts with some amazing games. In 2023, fans of the Wizarding World were blessed when Hogwarts Legacy came out. It was the first game in the Harry Potter universe where you could be whoever you wanted and attend Hogwarts in an original story separate from the books of Harry Potter. The game allowed you to be fully immersed in the world, and despite some issues here and there, Hogwarts Legacy was a commercial and critical success.
Although you could mostly do anything in Hogwarts Legacy, there was one question every developer working on the project was tired of hearing, that was “Will you be able to play Quidditch in the game?” The question was everywhere and very hard to avoid. Let’s be real, Quidditch was important in the books and movies and fans wanted to play. Their response was “No Quidditch.”
A real shock of an answer but it made sense. The game had so much already, that Quidditch would be a whole other mountain to climb. Even though fans got to fly a broom around a desolate pitch, the desire was there. The fans wanted a game where we could play Quidditch, and so after a year of waiting we finally now have our game with Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions.
Developed by Unbroken Studios and published by Warner Bros. Games under its Wizarding World label Portkey Games, Quidditch Champions is the second Quidditch-centered video game since 2003’s Harry Potter: Quidditch World Cup. Although Quidditch Champions is unique in its approach, players may find similarities to the Harry Potter games of old. Like the Quidditch World Cup, players can play as different world teams and Hogwarts Houses but this experience is unique in many ways, some that will surprise and hopefully motivate fans to get this game.
Let’s start by explaining Quidditch. Not every person playing might be a Harry Potter fan and I believe it to be the perfect gateway game for curious minds. Quidditch is relatively simple if you understand the positions. Unlike most real sports, there are not many hidden rules within it like off-sides or traveling. The game is straightforward back-and-forth scoring. The rules in the video game are a little different from the books/movies but for the right reasons I’ll get into soon. Let’s start with positions; there are 6 on each team, 3 Chasers, 1 Beater, 1 Keeper, and 1 Seeker.
The Chaser’s job is to catch a ball called the quaffle. Similar to the size of a basketball, the Chaser will fly to their opponent’s end of the field and throw the ball through one of three rings scoring 10 points. The rings are on poles of different lengths which allow for different ways to score and more for the Keeper to protect. The Keeper is a goalie whose main job is to stop the quaffle from going through, the position allows the player to choose which ring to protect and knock the ball away from danger.
The Beater is the nuisance of the game, in which their job is to knock players off their broom, delay their speed, or knock the quaffle away with a flying ball called a Bludger. The Beater can also knock out the Keeper allowing their team to score easier, so it’s an important position. Lastly, we have the Seeker, whose job is to find and catch the Golden Snitch. Unlike the books and other games, catching the snitch does not guarantee the match is over. In Quidditch Champions the snitch is worth 30 points and there are usually two opportunities to catch the Snitch. The first team to score over 100 points or have the most points within seven minutes wins
The game starts with you making your player and team. You can customize anything, from your look and clothes to your broom. They allowed a lot of free expression with this in a way very similar to Hogwarts Legacy. After you create your team, you play a lengthy tutorial in the Weasley’s backyard. The tutorial is critical to playing this game because it is not as easy as it looks. Learning how to navigate your broom, switch players, drift your broom, steal the ball and more will make you a better player.
There are a lot of things to focus on in the game and it could be easily distracting or overwhelming but basically, if you are playing as a Chaser your main priority is the quaffle. You can find the quaffle by pressing R1/ RB. This activates the focus cam, making it easier to see where the ball is at all times. If the quaffle is in the air you can press the right trigger to snatch it or the right trigger to steal it back from another chaser.
The left trigger allows you to drift your broom and switch directions easier along with L1/LB to doge. Playing as a Chaser you need to focus on not getting hit by bludgers, press the doge button when the bludger comes in a QTE at the bottom of the screen. Too many hits and your player will be knocked off for a few seconds. Playing as one of three Chasers, make sure to pass the ball to each other so there’s a quicker route to the goalposts. You can also boost your broom by pressing in on the left stick but it’s metered so use it sparingly.
Playing as a Beater, you get to fly around and look for opponents to attack. The entire team is at your disposal but keep in mind the other Beater is out to get you too. Knock the quaffle out of players’ hands, slow down the Seeker, or even knock out the Keeper, you are the menace of the game.
As the Beater, you fly around looking for the Bludger. You can use your focus cam to find it and summon the ball when you are near it by pressing Y or Triangle. Use the right trigger to launch it at players and if they dodge it you have to repeat the process. A good Beater will benefit the game heavily even though it’s tedious work.
Playing as the Keeper in this game is pretty fun but probably the hardest position and the one with the most importance. If you choose to be the Keeper, you can quickly dart to each post by moving the right stick and R1/RB. You can also return to the middle base position by pressing L1/LB. When a Chaser is coming towards you with the quaffle there will be a yellow line indicating the direction the player is aiming the ball. Be careful though, the Chasers use a lot of misdirection so read them well.
Lastly, as many know it to be the most popular Quidditch position and the one Harry Potter was, the Seeker is the one catching the Golden Snitch. You’re unable to play as the Seeker until a couple of minutes in the game are played, once you switch to the Seeker it’s your job to seek out the Snitch and follow through gold hoops to maintain speed and proximity. You and another Seeker will be after the same ball, so learning to drift and switch paths quickly is a must. There’s a meter at the top and below the score that shows how close each team is to catching the Snitch. If you stay behind it long enough, the circle around the Snitch will turn blue and you can press the right trigger to catch it. The game will end or reset to the beginning positions and your team will be up 30 points.
You can play the campaign solo/co-op against bots and it’s fun because you can change to any position at any time during the game. Press down on the D-pad and then choose which position you’d like to switch to. Players will also change when the quaffle is passed or you can select an active bot to switch to if they have the ball. The campaign consists of The Weasley Burrow Cup, The Hogwarts Cup, The Triwizard Schools Cup, and the World Cup. Completing each allows you to unlock other cups and challenges. Competing in the completions will have you face against teams in brackets just like any sporting finals tournament. The cups are very fun and you can choose between 5 levels of difficulty. The locations are also spectacular with nods to the film as well as locations that have only been described by J.K Rowling herself such as the American Wizarding School Ilvermony.
There are NO micro-transactions! None and it’s honestly something I thought this game was going to drown in. You can earn coins and moonstones in the game that will allow you to purchase heroes such as Hermione and many others. You can get outfits, hats, new brooms, and more with these coins. Complete challenges and earn season rewards to unlock new items. I’m sure as long as the game is hot there’ll be a lot of cool things. You can even have a PS1 Hagrid mask that’s a hilarious homage to where these games started.
You can do multiplayer with teams of 3v3. You can search for games in a particular position along with Chaser or play in any position. Online is super fun and it can get competitive so make sure you get your emotes ready to gloat after you score a goal. One thing I’ve found to be annoying with the game is the heavy dependence on having a good Seeker, if they aren’t doing the job right, focus heavily on scoring as much as you can with your Chasers. Many of my games have been blown due to the Snitch despite my best efforts. You can also practice your skills in a free practice mode. Make sure to always upgrade teammates and their brooms, I can’t stress that enough. There’s also an exhibition mode where you can choose who you play against and where, but it’s weird that you can’t play as those teams, just your created squad wearing the selected team robes.
I will say I am very pleased with this game and I love the direction they went with. I’ve heard criticisms about how it looks like Fortnite or something but it’s brilliant and marketed well. It’s a game for Harry Potter fans and other sports fans in general. I would describe the game as a mix between Rocket League, Fifa, and Fortnite.
I’ve been waiting for a game like this for years and I’m extremely happy that they listened to their fans and gave us a product worth the heavy title it bares. Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions is out now on PlayStation 4/5, Xbox One/X/S, PC, and very soon on the Switch. So what are you doing? Go get your broom and fly my friend!
This review was written based on a digital review copy of Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions for PlayStation 5 provided by Warner Bros. Games.
