Warner Bros and Avalanche Games have finally released Hogwarts Legacy, but when exactly does this Harry Potter game fit in with the timeline of books, films and stage shows in the Wizarding World?

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Since the seven main Harry Potter books were released (and adapted into eight films), the magical franchise has continued to expand with the Fantastic Beasts movies, the Cursed Child stage show and now the Hogwarts Legacy game.

So, when exactly is Hogwarts Legacy set and what does that mean in terms of Harry Potter connections and familiar characters that may appear? Keep on reading and we'll break it all down for you.

This article is part of our free Hogwarts Legacy walkthrough guide. To unlock your complete companion to the game.

When is Hogwarts Legacy set?

Hogwarts Legacy is set in the late 1800s, placing it before all the books, films and stage shows you may have already seen. More specifically, the year 1890 seems the most likely, with that particular year appearing on a newspaper clipping about the Goblin Rebellion.

At this point in the timeline, according to the game's official website, "The Wizarding World is fraught with dangers including creatures corrupted by a magical force, sinister witches and wizards, as well as a possible mounting goblin rebellion."

In the books, Harry Potter was born in 1980, meaning that Hogwarts Legacy takes place roughly a century before The Boy Who Lived started living. It's long before he turned up at Hogwarts, then!

The first Fantastic Beasts movie (Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them) is set in 1926, with Newt Scamander apparently being born in 1897. He'd probably be a bit too young to appear in Hogwarts Legacy.

Three minutes and 50 seconds into the video below, you can see this point in the timeline being revealed as the setting for Hogwarts Legacy.

Which Harry Potter characters appear in Hogwarts Legacy?

While Potter fans have used the Hogwarts Legacy Character Creator to make versions of Harry, Ron, and Hermoine, the fact the game is set in the 1800s means this is the closest to these characters that we'll get.

As the trailer confirms, "It's the late 1800s, so while the common rooms and classes may be familiar, most of your professors will not be.

"However, you may recognise a few faces," the trailer teasingly told us, before cutting to a scene where the player-character converses with Nearly Headless Nick (who is already a ghost at this point).

Alongside Nearly Headless Nick, several other familiar faces include Peeves, The Fat Lady, and Professor Cuthbert Binns.

What is more common within Hogwarts Legacy is the appearance of characters who share a relation to existing Harry Potter characters. Whether Phineas Nigellus Black or a certain red-haired professor, there are quite a few links to the wider wizarding world to look out for.

Read more on Hogwarts Legacy:

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