Board game publisher Czech Games Edition has called for "care, empathy, and respect" after it received criticism for announcing a new Harry Potter board game spin-off. Harry Potter is the creation of 'gender critical' campaigner J.K. Rowling, who presumably profits from licensed board games such as Czech's Codenames: Back to Hogwarts. The statement posted on July 25 has not quelled criticism, however, with fans online now accusing the publisher of blocking social media users who call out the company.
Codenames: Back to Hogwarts was revealed on July 23. Its pre-order page describes it as "all new Codenames experience inspired by the Wizarding World". This version of the popular party game sorts players into the four famous houses of Harry Potter, and, presumably, everyone is searching for clues and words related to the franchise. It didn't take long for negative responses to file in from social media, with many users claiming they will no longer be purchasing Czech Games Edition products.
Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling has a well-documented history of sharing and defending gender critical comments. She first received criticism in 2018 for liking a controversial post on Twitter, though at the time her representatives claimed that this was accidental. By 2020, Rowling had posted a 3,600-word essay online declaring her stance on "sex and gender issues".
Rowling has criticized bills that support those wishing to legally change their gender, and in 2024, she reportedly pledged £70,000 toward For Women Scotland's appeal to the Scottish government to change the legal definition of a woman. The UK Supreme Court has since backed this case, which one trans rights campaigner called "a deeply concerning ruling for human rights".
Czech Games Edition's statement regarding Codenames: Back to Hogwarts does not mention Harry Potter or J.K. Rowling. Titled, "Why We Created a New Licensed Version of Codenames", the publisher explains "when we embarked on creating the newly announced version of Codenames many years ago, it was a dream coming true for many of us at CGE".
"The vast world of magic featured in the upcoming Codenames has been a source of inspiration", the statement continues. "It ignited a passion for learning English and exploring new worlds through reading. It shaped our childhoods, sparked imagination, or gave comfort in difficult times."
"We know many people around the world share the same sentiment about this universe, even among those who have been hurt by the public views and actions of its creator. Deciding whether those feelings should also transfer to the once-beloved world is up to everyone, and we fully respect and understand those who do not wish to engage with this game."
Czech Games Edition concludes by saying that, "as this is an ongoing conversation, we encourage everyone to approach discussion with care, empathy, and respect-both online and in person". However, since sharing this statement, multiple Bluesky users have claimed that Czech Games is blocking accounts that have been overtly critical of Back to Hogwarts and the publisher's posts about the game.
Some of these accusations have been rectified, since the claimants discovered they were subscribed to a Bluesky 'block list' that automatically restricted access to certain accounts. It appears that Czech Games has been added to at least one of these moderation tools since announcing Codenames: Back to Hogwarts.
Despite a number of mistaken claims, a Clearsky list is circulating online that apparently shows 204 individual accounts that have been blocked by the official Codenames Bluesky account. One user on this list is No Pun Included, a board game reviewer who blacklisted coverage of Czech Games products on its channel in response to the announcement of Codenames: Back to Hogwarts.
Wargamer has asked Czech Games to confirm whether it has blocked any social media accounts in response to recent criticism. It has also asked the publisher to clarify who receives royalties from the licensed Harry Potter board game, as well as whether the company aligns itself with J.K. Rowling's political views. We have not yet received a reply, but this story will be updated with any new comments from Czech Games.
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If you'd like to learn more about transgender equality or lend your support, here are two important charities we encourage you to check out: the National Center for Transgender Equality in the US, and Mermaids in the UK.