Controversy is nothing new in the gaming industry. Blizzard has had workplace issues, Nintendo received a fair share of flak due to the joycon drift problems, and Sony was forced to allow crossplay after adamantly staying exclusive for years. Unresolved or otherwise, these may have affected how you enjoyed any of their games.

However, two recent games have overshadowed the rest of the industry’s problems in recent weeks. These are Hogwarts Legacy and Atomic Heart. Though highly rated, both games are in the spotlight for controversial issues, spawning online arguments and unpleasant cases of bullying and doxing. However, if you think about it, the base issues are warranted, but are the reactions necessary? Moreover, are you in the wrong for enjoying what these titles have to offer? Let’s try to make sense of everything.

The case against Hogwarts Legacy

J.K. Rowling, the Wizarding World’s creator, made controversial statements about the transgender community. In turn, this has brought her widespread condemnation across the LGBTQ+ community, leading to widespread calls to boycott the game and the entire franchise. Though the reaction to her statements is harsh, it’s justified.

Plus, the game also received criticism for its portrayal of goblins. They say these fictional creatures look like a certain group of people and play to certain stereotypes. Quite frankly, I think it’s insane; I never thought about any of this.

What isn’t justifiable is the community’s reaction to people who played Hogwarts Legacy. Streamers who streamed the game were harassed, while detractors posted spoilers in threads across the internet to ruin the experience for those who want to experience what it has to offer. It’s insane and caused many streamers to stop their streams; a good example is Girlfriend Reviews. They were accused of being transphobic just for playing the game and brought distress to the wholesome duo. Moreover, these bullies also ganged up on Pikamee and Silvervale, two popular VTubers.

Honestly, it’s deplorable to see “activists” harassing other people for not sharing their views. I hope they know that harassing people online isn’t the best way to promote rights and ideologies. Quite frankly, they’re achieving the opposite of the desired effect and are antagonizing neutrals.

The case against Atomic Heart

So, there’s a lot of history going on here. Mundfish has tried to distance its ties from Russia by boasting it has a multinational team of developers while also trying to promote a pro-peace platform. However, it’s also important to note that the company’s executives have ties to Russian companiescompany’s executives have ties to Russian companies linked to the Russian elite. With that said, we can’t help but ask: by buying the game, are we funding Russia’s war in Ukraine and validating genocide by glorifying the old Soviet Regime?

Playing them is fine, but the real-world issues will inevitably bother you