To this day,Hogwarts Legacyforgoing Knuts, Sickles, and Galleons for Galleons alone is one of its odder choices. Indeed, while the final product only features Galleons as its sole currency throughout Hogsmeade and the Scottish Highlands,earlyHogwarts Legacygameplayrevealed that its currency was originally divided into Knuts, Sickles, and Galleons as per the wizarding world’s canon, but at some point in development that was obviously abandoned.
Galleons are perfectly suitable as a lone currency without the need to break a bill for Sickles or Knuts, and yet that currency breakdown with bronze, silver, and gold coins remains a fun piece of established lore that is left out ofHogwarts Legacy, seemingly for simplicity’s sake. Galleons are fairly difficult to come by anyhow, and a breakdown of currency would have requiredHogwarts Legacyto reevaluate its gear and purchase systems entirely. In a sequel, however, Avalanche will hopefully return to what was presumably its initial design and incorporate Knuts and Sickles in an effort to greatly expand its RPG features.
Hogwarts Legacy Left Its Pockets Empty without Knuts and Sickles
Whether it was via lines of dialogue that weren’t removed or were included nonetheless because of the undeniable importance and relevance ofHarry Potter’s wizarding currency,Hogwarts Legacydoesn’t shy away from referencing the existence of Knuts and Sickles despite not featuring them as part of the money pool players can loot or earn.
Again,Hogwarts Legacyproved that it technically didn’t need the full spectrum of coins. That said, to have such a rich currency pool not represented fully is a wasted opportunity and, if Knuts, Sickles, and Galleons were all considered at some point in development, it would appear as if Avalanche made a late decision to cut Knuts and Sickles out for whatever reason.
As it stands, looting chests in treasure vaults or enemy encampments is less engaging when a meager sum of Galleons is found alongside decorative Conjuration collection items and lackluster gear. Now, likeGobstones, Wizard’s Chess, and Quidditch, aHogwarts Legacysequelhas a layup on its hands if it decides to fulfill its early monetary design of Knuts, Sickles, and Galleons and devise an economy around each coin’s value.
How Hogwarts Legacy 2’s Gear and Merchants Could Be Refreshing with a Revitalized Currency System
Hogwarts Legacy’s gargantuan open worldis dense enough with moment-to-moment content that it surely could have allowed for Knuts, Sickles, and Galleons to be looted. This way, ubiquitous flora and fauna ingredients could be purchased with Knuts, actual potions or plants could be purchased with Sickles, and more significant items like Conjuration spellcrafts or broomstick cosmetics could be purchased with Galleons, for example.
Hogwarts Legacy’s Haunted Hogsmeade Shop questexacerbates this economic issue, too, because players being able to sell whatever they wish to Penny the house-elf is no different from being able to sell to any miscellaneous merchants. Merchant pop-ups in the open world are compelling because they may offer a particular item that players can’t acquire elsewhere, but players needing to collect enough Knuts to receive Sickles and collect enough Sickles to receive Galleons would be a fantastic way to encourage progression and exploration.
Aridiculously small gear capacity inventory early on is a grave mistake inHogwarts Legacy, but being able to sell clothing for an assortment of Knuts, Sickles, or Galleons would be a great incentive for players to hoard all they can and not destroy gear to make room for more.
If nothing else, it could help make financial choices a bit more comprehensive if players must parse how many Knuts, Sickles, or Galleons they’ll have at the end of a transaction. Plus, if a sequel had players finally visit and explore Diagon Alley, it would be exhilarating to enter Gringotts and be able to store money in a vault.
