A rather convincing leak appeared recently of what looks to be a trailer for a high-budget RPG set in the Harry Potter world. It was taken down faster than you can say "Expelliarmus" (which is the first spell I remember because it's the only one Harry uses). But fortunately, Reddit users and various gaming media outlets were able to preserve the highlights and spread them around. The big takeaways: the story is new, you play as a customizable witch or wizard, and you can totally use dark magic.

The original Reddit thread is still there, but the video and its user have been deleted. The comments in the thread still exist, as do a few secret links to the video. The Youtube video containing the leaked footage has been copyright stricken by Warner Brothers, owners of the Harry Potter rights. If you're lucky, you'll see a secondhand video I found just below...

[Link: my.mixtape.moe/scyeev.mp4]

https://my.mixtape.moe/scyeev.mp4

Assuming the video still exists, you've seen what looks to be a very promising game. If it's not there, or if you just want more information, Variety has you covered.

It looks like the game is a third person action RPG. Players appear to be Hogwarts students due to their outfits and scenes that take place in classrooms. However, the adventure clearly goes beyond the walls and typical activities of the school. Strange creatures are shown in the Forbidden Forest, a battle with a troll is depicted, and the player even seems to raid a goblin vault.

via: reddit.com

That's where things get shocking. The player character is shown blowing open the door to the goblin's lair, impaling one of the little guys in the process. This implies that players can choose to take a darker path, something not seen in previous Harry Potter games. This is further confirmed in what the Reddit poster claimed is a "blurb" they were given about the game. Part of it reads "Choose your house and friends at Hogwarts, and decide to pursue a path of good or evil." 

Other interesting bits from the alleged blurb say that the game takes place in the 1800s, you play as a 5th year transfer student, and that you can use one of eight different styles of magic.

via: variety.com

According to the Variety report, the original poster of the Reddit thread was randomly picked to view the footage and take a survey expressing their opinions on it. The poster was able to take a stealth phone video during the closed session. The trailer does look quite legit, with enough footage of different locales and actions that would make it hard to fake. The fact that Warner Brothers issues a copyright claim on the Youtube video adds to its legitimacy as well. Hopefully this leak pushes an official announcement soon.

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