There was more than a decade between the release of Lego Harry Potter Years 5-7 and last year's Hogwarts Legacy, but Wizarding World fans won’t have to wait as long for their next gaming fix set in the magical universe. Raise your wands in celebration because Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions launches today (Tuesday, September 3), and PlayStation Plus subscribers can enjoy this fantasy sports game for free.
Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions is launching as part of the PlayStation Plus Monthly Games (confirmed via the PlayStation Blog) lineup, so subscribers at any tier level (even the lowest Essential level) can download this new Harry Potter game on PS5 or PS4 right now.
This freebie will be available until September 30, and once claimed it’s yours to keep for as long as your PlayStation Plus account remains active. To grab your free copy of Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions just head to the PlayStation Store and click the "Add to Library" button. That's literally all you need to do to claim this freebie.
If taking flight in a brand new Harry Potter gaming experience wasn’t enough excitement for the month, PlayStation Plus subscribers also get access to authentic baseball simulator MLB The Show 24 and spooky indie platformer Little Nightmares 2. The latter is especially worthwhile, as it’s a very overlooked horror game that combines enjoyable scares with a foreboding atmosphere and solid gameplay.
However, while baseball and horror fans will be pleased with these additional free games, there’s no denying that Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions is the headline new edition, and here’s why this new game set in the Wizarding World could be something very special…
This is the Quidditch game we’ve been waiting for
When Hogwarts Legacy launched last spring, Harry Potter fans were delighted with its digital recreation of the iconic school of witchcraft and wizardry, and the fact it allowed players to create their own character in the beloved fictional universe. However, there was one common, criticism: The lack of Quidditch.
Fortunately, Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions is looking to right that wrong by dedicating an entire game to the high-flying sport. Hoping to become the next world-conquering online experience, Quidditch Champions lets you play the fantasy sport either solo or online.
As you would expect, you can play as any of the sport’s four unique positions —Chaser, Keeper, Beater or Seeker — and compete across iconic Quidditch arenas including the Hogwarts grounds and the Burrow, home of the Weasley family. There’s a full career mode, where you aim to achieve sporting immortality by winning the Quidditch World Cup. But if you really want to test your flying skills, you’ll need to head online to compete with the world.
Plus, much like the majority of modern-day multiplayer experiences, Quidditch Champions lets you fully customize your own character, tweaking everything from your appearance to your celebration emote after chucking the quaffle through one of the goal hoops (that probably reads of waffle to non-Potter fans). But, fear not, publisher Warner Bros. Games has confirmed there are no microtransactions here.
However, if you want to give yourself a boost before lift-off, Hogwarts Legacy owners can link their WB account in Quidditch Champions and get access to an exclusive “Legacy Pack”. This includes Slytherin student Sebastian Sallow as a playable character alongside a set of Hogwarts Legacy-themed gear.
Only time will tell if Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions will become the next Rocket League or Fall Guys and take the gaming world by storm, or whether it’ll fail to find an audience like so many online-focused games before it (looking at you Foamstars), but at least PS5 and PS4 owners with a PlayStation Plus subscription can hop on a magical broomstick without having to pay a single silver sickle.
