- Primary Subject: Pottermore (Classic Interactive Site / Retrospective)
- Key Update: A retrospective look at how the complete scrubbing of early Pottermore's interactive gaming features sidelined a highly successful, conflict-free cozy gaming format in favor of typical open-world tropes.
- Status: Confirmed (Site Revision History)
- Last Verified: August 13, 2026
- Quick Answer: The original Pottermore offered an interactive browser experience with potion brewing and exploration, providing a cozy simulation format that Hogwarts Legacy ultimately replaced.
Anyone who knows me knows I was a huge Harry Potter fan. So much so that I was one of those people who constantly refreshed the Pottermore website to find the elusive quill to gain early access.
You may be wondering why I did that. Well, it's because I had high expectations for it. I genuinely thought it would start as an amazing Harry Potter browser game, then expand to being a full-fledged video game. And at the start, that seemed like the trajectory it was going for.
And then it pivoted. Which was a huge disappointment - it should have been THE Harry Potter game instead of Hogwarts Legacy.
Not Turning Pottermore Into a Video Game Was a Massive Fumble
I'm not trashing Hogwarts Legacy. In fact, as a Potterhead, I would consider the game the full Harry Potter experience. I was able to practice duelling, craft potions, and get sorted to my House. But I still can't help but miss the potential Pottermore had.
Pottermore originally started as a browser game. You clicked your way through Diagon Alley, took quizzes to get your House, and used your cursor to brew potions. There was no flashy combat or exploding barrels - it was a cozy way of becoming a wizard.
READ MORE: Hogwarts Legacy 2 - Features Fans Want to See in the Sequel
And then… It was just left like that. For a long time, Pottermore was left with no updates. No new mini-games, no additional features to immerse myself in my Hogwarts life. Not long after, all the gaming aspects of Pottermore were scrubbed off the site, and it was placed under construction.
If you visit Pottermore now, it’s full of blogs and insider information. They’ve removed every aspect of gaming from the site. When I first found this out, I was distraught. I had hoped they were fixing the site up to be an accessible way of playing as a wizard entering Hogwarts. I even thought the site might be reworked to announce a Pottermore PC and console game.
To this day, I don’t understand why they abandoned the concept of Pottermore so easily. It would have been a great cozy Potter-themed game where we just naturally progress through Hogwarts without worrying about Voldemort.
It should have been the Potter game before Hogwarts Legacy. It could have set the stage for other games before it. Pottermore, I miss you every day.
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