A new Harry Potter game is on the way and it will be released for next-gen consoles including the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. The game in question has been rumored to be in development for ages, with some very early footage leaking online in October 2018. It turns out, that footage was indeed legitimate and now, we have some more details in terms of what to expect from the game. One thing not to expect is a lot of involvement from franchise creator J.K. Rowling.

This mysterious video game is currently in the works according to two people currently working on it. The RPG is being developed by Avalanche Software, which is owned by Warner Bros. No title has been confirmed, but it is scheduled for release late next year. Both the PS5 and the Xbox Series X are set to launch during the upcoming holiday season, which means the game would be coming out roughly a year into the lifecycle of the new consoles.

One of the most important elements of the report concerns J.K. Rowling. While the author behind the Harry Potter books is inseparably connected to the franchise, it is said that she has "very little direct involvement" with the game. This is most likely good news as the author has come under fire recently for a series of tweets that were widely regarded as transphobic. A lengthy statement made by Rowling on her website didn't do much to help the situation. It is also said that the game will be officially revealed after the upcoming DC FanDome event, which will put a huge focus on future DC projects. Warner Bros. most likely doesn't want to pull any focus from whatever announcements are made at the event in August.

There is another interesting wrinkle in this situation to consider. It was reported several weeks ago that AT&T was looking to possibly sell Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, the company's gaming division. The company is looking to chip away at its massive debt load, said to be in the $165 billion range. What is particularly curious about the sale, which could fetch around $4 billion, is that the gaming studio is heavily associated with brands like Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, Mortal Kombat and other properties that are still owned by Warner Bros. It's expected that a licensing agreement may factor into the sale for any interested parties.

While details remain scarce, the untitled game is said to be an "open-world re-creation of Hogwarts and its surrounding areas." Players will take on the role of wizards. It's not clear at this time if any of the actors from the movie series, such as Daniel Radcliffe or Emma Watson, will provide voices for the game. We'll be sure to keep you posted as further details are made available. This news comes to us via Bloomberg.