Hogwarts Legacy is finally getting two features that should have been there at launch with the Summer Update

What you need to know

• Hogwarts Legacy launched last year and has sold over 15 million copies in that time, making it a very successful game.
• Today, the official Hogwarts Legacy X account revealed that several new features are coming to the game as part of a Summer Update. 
• This includes a new photo mode, the ability to reset points, a haunted Hogsmeade Shop quest, additional accessories, Azkaban outfits, Felix Felicis Potion Recipe, and an Onyx Hippogriff mount. 
• More information surrounding the Hogwarts Legacy Summer Update will be revealed on June 6, 2024.

When Hogwarts Legacy released in February 2023, it did so with a bang. Not only did it have high initial sales, but it was quickly proven that Avalanche Software, the developers behind the game, had also managed to do the impossible — create a thoroughly enjoyable action role-playing game that captured all of the nostalgia and magic tied to the Harry Potter wizarding world. Today, the official Hogwarts Legacy X account (formerly Twitter) revealed that a Hogwarts Legacy Summer Update will bring additional goodies and features to the game. 

As seen in the official image above, we know for sure that the Hogwarts Legacy Summer Update will bring:

• New Photo Mode: Adjustment options include Tilt, Depth of Field, Focus Distance, Focus Amount, Exposure, Contrast, Saturation, Vignette Strength, Filters, Filter Strength, Chromatic Aberration, Film Grain, Character Poses, and more.
• Reset Talent Points: It's unclear if this is something you can do at will or if it's something you can only do at specific times. 
• Haunted Hogsmeade Shop Quest: A spooky brand-new mission for Xbox and PC players (it was already exclusively available for PlayStation players).
• The Glasses That Lived: Players can finally wear the iconic Harry Potter glasses. 
• Azkaban Prisoner's Outfit & Coat: Dress up just like an escapee. The clothing seems to be slightly different between male and female designs. 
• Felix Felicis Potion Recipe: It brings players luck by highlighting chests on the map (this was a PlayStation preorder bonus).
• Lavender Borealis Broom: A sweet ride with a fun trailing effect. 
• Onyx Hippogriff Mount: This elegant creature can be yours to ride on through the air or on the ground (this was a PlayStation preorder bonus).

More details surrounding the Hogwarts Legacy Summer Update will be made available on Thursday, June 6, 2024. Check back here on that date and we at Windows Central cover everything further that gets revealed.

Finally, features that should have been there at launch

I personally did our Hogwarts Legacy review, and while playing through the game the first time I was absolutely shocked to find that a photo mode hadn't been included. It seemed like an egergious oversight when there were so many beautifully designed locations that were just screaming for me to pose my character in front of. So I'm very happy this is going to be rectified soon. 

Of course, we currently don't know how many character poses are available to us or exactly what all of the photo mode adjustment settings are. I just hope there are a good range of poses and effects to help us relay various sentiments or get just the right look from our screenshots.

For me, the other crucial feature is the ability to Reset Talent Points. In case you don't remember, Talent Points are earned as you progress through the game and can be spent to unlock spells, abilities, and more. Like I previously said, it's unclear if we'll be able to reset Talent Point at will or if we'll only be able to do it at specific points in the game, but having the option is something that I think should have been there at launch. 

Now, some people have expressed disappointment that these are the only updates coming to Hogwarts Legacy, especially since some of these things have been PlayStation exclusives for months. Even so, expecting more than this is ridiculous. The game is over a year old for goodness sake. We're lucky to be getting any new content at all from a single-player action game that many people expected to fail. Besides, I'd much rather Avalanche Software spent its time working on the Hogwarts Legacy sequel rather than perpetually updating the original game.