Quidditch Champions Does Something The Harry Potter Movies Never Did

Warner Bros. Games has announced that Quidditch Champions will include the Triwizard Quidditch Cup, including special pitches themed around Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang.

In the game’s career mode, players can progress all the way to the Triwizard Quidditch Cup where they can choose from one of the three schools and play against iconic characters from each school. Cedric Diggory, Ron Weasley, and Harry Potter himself represent Hogwarts, while Fleur Delacour will appear for Beauxbatons. Viktor Krum headlines the Durmstrang squad.

The Triwizard Tournament was a major part of the Goblet of Fire movie, featuring Fleur, Vikto, Cedric, and Harry competing for the crown (and Cedric ultimately getting killed). But this is the first instance of a Quidditch tournament between the three schools. The Goblet of Fire movie did, though, begin with Harry and his pals visiting the Quidditch World Cup (which is not in Quidditch Champions).

The developers at Unbroken Studios took creative liberties to imagine what each school’s Quidditch teams might look like. For example, the developers created “finely crafted” brooms for the Beaubatons and a “perfectly manicured” pitch to match the school’s pedigree. The Durmstrang squad, meanwhile, competes on “sturdy brooms in harsh conditions” to match the school’s more intense vibe.

The Beauxbatons pitch is set in the Pyrenees mountains in the south of France, while the Durmstrang pitch is set in the far northern reaches of Europe.

“Contrasting the scenic daytime weather of Beauxbatons, we set Durmstrang’s pitch at night, under the light of aurora borealis. Viking-inspired architecture can be seen surrounding the pitch, with minimal flames to preserve the secrecy of the school,” the developers said. “The pitch itself is a way off from the school for the same reason, and the iconic ship the students use to travel is docked beside the pitch, which is surrounded by water. The surface of the pitch is frozen-over black stone, ensuring that athletes who fall off their broom learn from every mistake.”

The Hogwarts pitch, meanwhile, is the one that fans may be familiar with from the film series, and it needs no introduction (nor did the studios provide one in the announcement post).

Quidditch Champions is the second Harry Potter game in as many years, following 2023’s massively successful Hogwarts Legacy. It was 2023’s best-selling game overall in the US, even out-selling Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III.

The $30 game launches digitally on September 3 for console and PC, and for the first month, PlayStation Plus subscribers can get it at no extra cost. A physical edition for Xbox and PlayStation launches on November 8, with a version of the game for Switch following later in the year.

Although controversial author J.K. Rowling is not personally involved with Qudditch Champions, she stands to profit from its success. For more, read our in-depth article on how Rowling’s comments have impacted the trans community. In this article, you will also find links to trans creators you can support, as well as charities you can donate to.