Following the massively positive reception of Hogwarts Legacy last year, one of the lingering questions among fans—particularly sports and mini-game enthusiasts like myself—was simple: where’s the Quidditch?
Despite being a key part of the books and films, Hogwarts Legacy skirts this glaring omission with the headmaster cancelling the season due to an injury from the previous year. It’s a disappointing hand-wave for anyone who hoped to chase the glory of the Golden Snitch on a Nimbus 2000. So when Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions was announced, my interest was piqued.
Developed by Unbroken Studios and published by Warner Bros. Games under the Portkey Games label, Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions is a standalone sports title crafted to bring the admittedly convoluted Quidditch game to the console and PC. As a casual fan of the Wizarding World, my skepticism was high but so too was my interest. Could a standalone Quidditch game capture the film’s charm? And more crucially, could it handle broom flight mechanics in a way that feels intuitive? Well, here’s what I found.
Controls: The Good, the Bad and The Ugly
From the tutorial onward, I was pleasantly surprised to find a well-structured, smooth Quidditch experience that distilled the convoluted fantasy sport into a rather rewarding and addictive experience. While movement can be janky to start with, dodging, drifting, and switching between characters becomes much smoother, with general flight quite a joy to command. Though the learning curve can be steep, the initial tutorial (despite rather cheap voice acting and story animations) helps players navigate the blend of roles, teaching each position’s unique mechanics.
The Seeker, for instance, is easy to pick up, focusing on goal-scoring with the Quaffle and dodging opponents, while the Beater’s role requires timing to utilize Bludgers effectively.
However, I don’t feel that the single-player experience lives up to the immersive team sport it sets out to emulate. Playing solo leads to constantly switching between multiple characters—chasers, a keeper, a beater, and the occasional seeker—which can quickly become hectic and difficult to coordinate. While the AI teammates do their job, the absence of human players drags down the fluidity of traditional sports titles.
Frequently switching between chasers to cover more ground and often while passing the Quaffle, the game’s weakness for gauging distance becomes quite clear, and intercepts are more common. More often than not, I was reorienting off a pass or losing momentum regaining my sense of space, and eating up precious seconds in higher difficulties. Similarly, playing as the keeper or beater can feel redundant unless controlled directly and leaving these roles to AI is a gamble as they fail to guard critical spaces or target opponents effectively.
In some ways, the chaos is part of Quidditch’s charm, and it is unique as a result, but it poses issues for single-player gameplay. The frequent character switching, a pre-planning phase that rarely comes off and disorienting 3D play often becomes more difficult than exhilarating.
Game Modes
The campaign mode lets players compete in cup matches against other houses, complete with banter and familiar characters from the Harry Potter universe. Feeling more like a practice for online play, the campaign feels closer to a tutorial than a genuine story-based mode. Though the narrative isn’t groundbreaking, it does set the stage well for an engaging series of matches as you play through:
- The Weasley Burrow Garden Cup
- The Hogwarts House Quidditch Cup
- The Triwizard Schools Quidditch Cup
- The Quidditch World Cup
The NPC teammates are competent enough to avoid being frustrating but it feels a bit isolating and simply can’t emulate the synergy of real players, making the campaign feel like a stepping stone to the multiplayer mode. Despite that, the progression from backyard to stadium is worth sticking with the campaign alone.
Online-Centric Design and Cosmetic Customization
The multiplayer, on the other hand, is where Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions truly shines. Although it’s currently limited to 3v3 rather than a full 6v6 setup (with Quidditch Pro 6v6 to come) matches were quick to join, and quite competitive. Daily, weekly, and career challenges will keep the completions coming back while the multiplayer’s potential for events and tournaments suggests a promising future.
Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions is designed with an online focus, a choice that may disappoint single-player fans. Coordinating with other players in real-time does make for a more strategic and satisfying experience, whereas solo gameplay struggles with balance and complexity.
The absence of microtransactions is a relief, though grinding through the game for in-game currency to unlock cosmetics still takes time. The cosmetics and customization offer a decent variety, with the lo-res PS1 graphics Hagrid mask in particular earning a good chuckle out of me. And no micro-transactions earn gold stars from me.
The choice of 3v3 gameplay, while understandable, would benefit from an eventual shift to 6v6. Having one player for each position—keeper, beater, seeker, and three chasers—could enhance the game’s dynamics and make roles more specialized, allowing players to focus on honing their skills in a single role. For now, the chaser and seeker positions receive the most attention, with the snitch chase offering an iconic yet unsatisfying experience. The snitch’s movements are easy to spot but annoyingly predictable, with repetitive U-turns and a lackluster pattern that could use some fine-tuning.
Aesthetics and Voice Acting: Cartoonish, Yet Functional
Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions leans into a distinctly cartoonish visual style, a noticeable departure from the grounded aesthetic of Hogwarts Legacy. I understand that, given the scale and reach of the IP, it may not make financial sense to bring in the original actors for authentic voice acting—a decision that’s both practical and fair. Still, the exaggerated, colourful style has its pros and cons.
On one hand, this aesthetic aligns well with a lighter, more accessible game focused on competitive play rather than detailed realism. It makes room for more customizable options, which allows players to have fun crafting quirky and colourful characters. But this exaggerated look can also make the game feel more childish than the richly layered Hogwarts Legacy—a slight tonal disconnect.
For me, this playful style isn’t a deal-breaker, it’s a reminder that Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions is a sports game first and a Harry Potter story second, which, while fine in its own right, may leave some players feeling less invested in the world around them.
Final Thoughts
Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions offers a solid foundation with varied roles, engaging modes, and the thrill of Quidditch. However, its long-term success hinges on the developers’ ability to keep the content fresh. Seasonal updates and consistent tweaks to gameplay will be essential to retain an engaged player base, especially with the 6v6 gameplay coming soon.
Ultimately, Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions is an enjoyable, albeit imperfect, entry into the gaming landscape. It captures the magic of Quidditch and offers fans a chance to engage in the beloved sport.
Despite its control quirks and chaotic nature, the game offers a promising experience that can be both fun and challenging. For dedicated fans and online players, it’s worth a try—especially if you’re looking to clutch a lucky victory off a Golden Snitch or send a Quaffle through a goalpost.
THREE STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Highlights: Smooth flight mechanics; Varied roles and exciting online play; No microtransactions
Lowlights: Single-player mode lacks ambition and scope; Difficult control over the team in a 3D space; Lack of current 6v6 game mode
Developer: Unbroken Studios
Publisher: Warner Bros. Games, Portkey Games
Platforms: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Windows PC via Steam and Epic Games
Available: Now
Review conducted on PlayStation 5 with a launch code provided by the publisher.
