Yeah that’s true too. I was being genuine before when I said it’s a choice to make. Nobody’s perfect, and the world is a mess right now.

Sometimes I still buy Nestle chocolate, or order from Amazon; even though I’m against those companies. If something goes against my morals, but I want to do it anyway, I think it’s important to be honest with myself about why; and to knowingly make a decision with all the information and a clear mind. “I’m feeling depressed and need something to cheer me up” is a perfectly valid reason; the only person I need to convince is myself after all. I’ve weighed that personal suffering against my Nestle boycott and made the choice this time to prioritise my mental health.

I believe everyone is allowed to be a complicated person and make exceptions to their own morals. In contrast, and in reference to the other commenter; I think it’s strange behaviour to vehemently deny evidence in order to avoid making that exception.

Ok - but don’t you think it’s critical information for anyone reading to know what they’re indirectly funding? Especially on a platform that has a much higher than average proportion of trans and non-binary people?

In this thread, the person I was replying to was somehow completely unaware of Rowling’s political activism, which is evidence that it’s still worth mentioning.

In [current year], it’s true that you cannot avoid every evil; but I think you should still try, for the topics you that matter to you.

Are you genuinely asking why that specific screenshot isn’t an argument? They claimed that Rowling isn’t related to the game at all, and she gets no benefit from it, because the main character isn’t Harry Potter. That’s completely false; so I pointed out that it’s incorrect.

Look - just to be absolutely clear: You are allowed to play Hogwarts Legacy. You have my blessing, and anybody reading this is freed from the shackles of my personal morality (which never bound you in the first place). Go on and play the game; it’ll be much more fun than whatever your goal is in this thread.

Actually, I’m baffled by and a bit curious about your motives. Are you best friends with whoever I was replying to or something? I don’t get why you’re defending them; especially when I’m not even attacking them.

*aims bimbo-ification ray*

You didn’t even read the thread or what? Give it another go.

They were the ones that initially asked why, and then I simply explained the reason. Then they kept trying to justify their decision. That’s what it looks like when someone feels guilty, but refuses to face reality.

In every reply I reiterated that I’m not forcing anything or making any argument.

Again; it’s entirely your choice. I’m not trying to make you feel bad or guilt trip you or convince you to boycott her or anything of the sort. That’s your own decision. I’m only providing information and education.

They felt bad all on their own because they wanted to play Harry Potter, while also not supporting anti-trans TERF politics. That’s impossible right now. You cannot have your cake and eat it too; unless you pirate, which I’m not advocating.

Here’s some general life advice advice, given genuinely. If you ever feel like neutral facts presented calmly is an attack, that’s a sign that there’s a misalignment, and you should meditate on your values. Look up cognitive dissonance; it’s an extremely common phenomenon.

According to this theory, […] Discomfort is triggered by beliefs clashing with new information or by having to conceptually resolve a matter that involves conflicting sides, whereby the individual tries to find a way to reconcile contradictions to reduce their discomfort.

Festinger explains [cognitive dissonance] as “Tell him you disagree and he turns away. Show him facts or figures and he questions your sources. Appeal to logic and he fails to see your point.”

It’s full of fallacies, at this point it’s become a circular argument where they just repeat their points over and over until they “win”. This was never even an argument, I was not trying to convince anyone to do anything from the start.

I’ll break it down though so you can recognise the bad faith arguments in future.

Assuming the Wikipedia article is correct.

Attacking the source of information unjustly, when they themselves have provided zero hard evidence in this entire thread.

That is not proof that MY money goes there. She would have payed it without me buying the game anyway.

Ignoring the fact that more money means more funding. As if she magically conjures her own money.

I don’t care about her political stance and acts. It’s also a topic that does not affect me, so I do not have any feelings.

Earlier they said they do care about trans rights, now they don’t.

Every company does something bad, should we never buy games again, because a producer did something stupid or the parent company getting money does something stupid?

Whataboutism. We’re not talking about other producers or other games, just this one.

She is not involved in the games I buy and play, then I buy and play those games.

She is involved though, so this is just wrong.

I don’t care about her opinion. I don’t know how to make that more clear.

Getting defensive and standoffish.

and Warner Bros would hardly notice your support.

Ah yes, selective facts. Why does Warner Bros doesn’t notice my support, but the one person you are against it does?

False equivalences. Warner Bros is a multibillion massive corporation and has an entire enterprise of many brands. Rowling basically only has Harry Potter. Much easier to boycott one over the other, and Warner Bros as far as I know isn’t funding anti-trans stuff. They’re also implying that funding Warner Bros is some kind of noble act like giving to charity that counteracts any harm Rowling does.

In fact, royalties are just a little sum, compared to the entire costs.

Downplaying their contribution, and ignoring half the facts I’ve provided earlier in the thread.

It’s generally not worth talking to people once they get like this. They’ve already made their choice and are only trying to justify it in any way they can, using emotional arguments rather than logical ones.

This is becoming a bad faith argument, so I’m just going to call it here. Enjoy your game :)

I’m curious what more proof you’re looking for? It’s all in that Wikipedia article. Here is at least one proof, directly quoted from that very article:

She also voiced opposition to the Scottish Gender Recognition Reform Bill, aimed at allowing transgender people to change their legal gender more easily and subsequently she donated £70,000 to the legal challenge brought by For Women Scotland against the Scottish Ministers in the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom, which on 16 April 2025 ruled that the legal definition of a woman in the Equality Act 2010 is based on biological sex.

If that isn’t enough proof for you, then you’re in denial my friend. I was also deeply saddened and hurt when I learnt my beloved childhood series author became hateful and is for some reason trying to emulate Voldemort. I grew up with those books, they were important to me. But I chose to leave them behind and prioritise my personal morals.

Again, it’s your own decision whether supporting that publisher and developer is more important to you than supporting Rowling.

developed by Avalanche Software and published by Warner Bros. Games

Personally, I don’t recognise or feel particularly fondly towards that developer, and Warner Bros would hardly notice your support.

Finally getting around to playing Baldur’s Gate… the original. I haven’t played 3 yet, for some reason I decided I want to play the games in order lol

Your logic doesn’t follow because firstly you’re not paying for Linux generally as an average user; and secondly it doesn’t involve Microsoft in any way whatsoever if you use Linux.

There is a direct pipeline here. You buy the game -> a cut goes to Rowling as royalties -> she invests that money in anti-trans stuff. It’s very straightforward.

I’m not the person who wrote the original reply, so I’m not suggesting piracy. Personally I just don’t interact with her products at all anymore. I don’t read the books, watch the movies, or play the games. Full boycott.

Again; it’s entirely your choice. I’m not trying to make you feel bad or guilt trip you or convince you to boycott her or anything of the sort. That’s your own decision. I’m only providing information and education. If this information makes you feel bad, it might indicate something you should think about and make a proper decision about, either way.

I encourage you to read the Wikipedia article I linked. She is highly politically active and was a pivotal influence on directly harming trans rights. She is also highly litigative and will sue anybody that is against her.

Here’s one quote from the article:

In June 2020 the Equality Act was blocked in the United States Senate. The Republican Party senator James Lankford cited Rowling’s essay as part of his reasoning for opposing the bill.

She also doesn’t believe asexual people exist, she believes that women are defined by their biological birth sex, she backed legislation to make it more difficult to change genders, she deliberately misgenders people, and she created her own sexual assault crisis shelter specifically to exclude trans women from it.

I think it was particularly interesting that the actors for Ron, Hermione, and Harry, all opposed Rowling’s opinions.

Supporting the brand is supporting her, full stop. Supporting her is supporting anti-trans politics. You can choose to ignore that, that’s entirely up to you; but it is a choice nonetheless.

She still gets money for it. And then uses that money to fund anti-trans TERF stuff. Depending on your ideals there may be some cognitive dissonance there is all.

Rowling went crazy