Summary

  • ESRB rating reveals surprise use of "sh*t" in Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions.
  • Gameplay details include character shifting, hitting opponents with Bludgers, and victory celebrations.
  • While microtransactions disappoint some, Quidditch Champions will be budget-friendly at $29.99 and free for PS Plus members in September 2024.

According to its ESRB rating, the upcoming fantasy sports game Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions will feature the word "sh*t" for some reason. Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions is the next video game based on the incredibly popular Harry Potter franchise, an IP primarily aimed at children and teenagers. The books and movies have occasional swear words, but it's still odd that Quidditch Champions features the word "sh*t."

For the most part, Quidditch Champions has looked like a family-friendly game. It uses a cartoonish art style to really hammer this point home. It certainly seems as though it will be avoiding the darker elements featured in some other Harry Potter games, like open world action-RPG Hogwarts Legacy, for instance. Quidditch Champions trailers have given no indication that the game would have much of anything that would be inappropriate for a younger audience, but as it so happens, the game has been hit with a T for Teen rating from the ESRB instead of the E for Everyone that some may have expected.

A Quidditch player catching a Golden Snitch in Quidditch Champions
Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions Pre-Order Bonus Revealed

Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions reveals a pre-order bonus that fans can claim if they decide to buy the game early.

By 

The Quidditch Champions ESRB rating confirms that players can shift between the game's playable characters and positions during games, which is an interesting gameplay detail, and that Beaters are able to tackle opponents and hit them with a ball (called a "Bludger" in the Wizarding World franchise). Quidditch Champions characters can become "dizzy" after taking too many hits. A victory celebration in the game sees a character hit in the face, presumably with a Bludger, and this animation includes a tooth and blood coming from their mouth. The ESRB rating notes that a separate celebration includes vomiting. The description ends by saying that "The word 'sh*t' appears in the game," but provides no further context as to how it's used or why. Ultimately, the game's T for Teen rating is due to Crude Humor, Fantasy Violence, Language, and Mild Blood, with the rating also noting that Quidditch Champions lets users interact and that there will be In-Game Purchases.

Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions ESRB Rating

quidditch champions swear word

While most Harry Potter fans likely aren't concerned about the swearing in the game, the confirmation of microtransactions in Quidditch Champions will likely disappoint some players. Hogwarts Legacy famously launched microtransaction-free and was much better off for it, but execs have made it clear that microtransactions will be a key component in future games. The game features extensive customization options, and so it seems likely that some of these will be locked behind a paywall, whether that's new ones added post-launch or some of the ones that will be available when Quidditch Champions launches on September 3.

What should make the microtransactions sting a little less is the fact that Quidditch Champions is releasing as a budget title and will be available for just $29.99. Not only that, but Quidditch Champions will be one of the free PS Plus Games for September 2024, so PlayStation gamers have the chance to play it without paying anything more than they usually do for their subscription.

Rating block community and brand ratings Image
Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions Tag Page Cover Art
7 /10

Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions
Display card tags widget
Sports
Display card system widget
Systems
super greyscale 8-bit logo PC-1 PlayStation-1 Xbox-1
Display card community and brand rating widget Display card open critics widget
Top Critic Avg: 66 /100 Critics Rec: 25%
Display card main info widget
Released
September 3, 2024
ESRB
T For Teen // Crude Humor, Fantasy Violence, Language, Mild Blood
Developer(s)
Unbroken Studios
Publisher(s)
Warner Bros. Games
Multiplayer
Online Co-Op, Online Multiplayer
Cross-Platform Play
PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One & Xbox Series X|S
Franchise
Harry Potter
Display card main info widget end Display card media widget start Display card media widget end

WHERE TO PLAY

DIGITAL
Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info

LIVE YOUR QUIDDITCH FANTASY: Take to the sky as one of the classic positions—Chaser, Seeker, Keeper, or Beater—each with their own unique play style. Soar into legendary Quidditch arenas, as well as maps that showcase never-before-seen areas of the wizarding world.

MULTIPLE WAYS TO PLAY
Career Mode: From backyard battles in the Weasley Burrow to high-stakes showdowns at the Quidditch World Cup, rise to become a champion either solo or in online co-op with teams of up to 3 friends.
Exhibition Matches: set your teams, map, and difficulty and play alone or on teams of up to 3 in online co-op.
Player vs Player: Test your skills in competitive online matches against other Quidditch teams.

YOUR QUIDDITCH YOUR WAY
Customize Your Approach: Level up and use skill points to tailor your play style for each role. Change your flight style by switching between and leveling up different brooms.
Play As Yourself or as Iconic Harry Potter Characters: cosmetic customization options and classic character designs allow you to express your game-time personality.

Genre(s)
Sports