The students of Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Slytherin have long shown their pride in their houses in the enchanting sport of Quidditch, which plays a central role in the Harry Potter books and films. Famous witches and wizards have competed against each other in Quidditch, and with Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions, coming to PS5 and PS4 as a monthly PlayStation Plus game on September 3, we’re giving players the chance to take to the skies and experience the magical game for themselves.
Next up is a new look at the game, including gameplay mechanics, modes, character customization, and more.
From the start of development, we knew that Quidditch, with its deep roots in wizarding tradition, deserved a game built from the ground up to truly capture its competitive spirit and deliver an authentic experience. We knew that developing a standalone game was essential to focus on Quidditch’s unique mechanics and features and ensure a comprehensive and immersive experience that fans could fully enjoy.
Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions is an immersive, dynamic experience that captures the essence of what makes Quidditch so special. Whether you’re a seasoned competitive player or a Harry Potter fan, we wanted to make a game for everyone. That meant we had to include lots of unlockable content that lets you upgrade and customise your gear and character – all of which you can only obtain through game progression – as well as multiple game modes from single player to online co-op and multiplayer PvP.
Refresher on Quidditch history
New to Quidditch or need a refresher? We’ve got you covered.
Quidditch is a wizarding sport played on brooms, in which two teams compete to score as many points as possible. Points are scored either by throwing the Quaffle (the ball) through the rings at the end of the pitch or by catching the Golden Snitch (a tiny golden ball with fluttering silver wings). Interestingly, when creating a Snitch, the makers have to wear gloves as they are designed to remember who touched them first – which is certainly useful if there is a dispute over which team caught the Snitch.
The first Quidditch World Cup tournament was held in 1473, and for the first few centuries only teams from Europe took part. Harry Potter had the opportunity to watch the 422nd Quidditch World Cup final in 1994 – a nail-biting showdown between Ireland and Bulgaria, but with much of the action taking place off the pitch.
Capturing the spirit of Quidditch
We’ve worked hard to balance the game so that it captures the essence of Quidditch as portrayed in the books and films, while also playing like a modern video game. For example, catching the Golden Snitch does not end the game and is now worth 30 points – enough to catch up if a team is behind, or to secure victory if a team is ahead. This adjustment makes the Golden Snitch a powerful game mechanic, while still allowing all roles to impact the game equally.
We also wanted to immerse players in the wizarding world. Players can customize their own avatar or choose one of their favorite characters from any era of the franchise: this includes Quidditch athletes like Harry Potter, Draco Malfoy, Cho Chang, Ron Weasley, and Cedric Diggory, as well as other fan-favorite characters like Hermione Granger, to name a few. We also wanted to extend the competition beyond Hogwarts, and envisioned a Triwizard Quidditch Cup, pitting Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Beauxbatons Academy of Magic, and the elusive Durmstrang Institute against each other and pitting their best players.
Available at launch with PlayStation Plus
And that’s just the beginning. We’re excited to announce that PlayStation Plus members can get the Standard Edition of the game for free from September 3rd to 30th.
Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions launches on PS5 and PS4 on September 3. Thank you for your support and we can’t wait to see you take off and become Quidditch Champions.
