In half of the Harry Potter movies, audiences get to see the fun game of wizards and witches riding on broomsticks in a large outer field called Quidditch. It was incredibly thrilling to see Hogwarts students bring their magical A-game soaring through the air to throw quaffles inside of a large hoop while facing the risk of falling beneath. However, I can’t ignore how silly this one rule of the Harry Potter sport is and neither can a brand new video game.
The rules of Quidditch are pretty simple. Think of it like handball but in the air on broomsticks. A player throws a large ball called the quaffle into the hoop of the other team with each goal equal to 10 points. Here’s where the game gets a little silly: Harry’s role as Seeker is to catch a fast little flying ball called the Golden Snitch that equals 150 points when caught and ends the game automatically. Then why bother having chasers and beaters if the Seeker pretty much makes or breaks the game? Imagine if the Seeker was so gifted that they caught the Snitch within minutes. That would be a short game, wouldn't it?
It looks like I’m not the only one who noticed how bizarre the Quidditch rule is. Fortunately, GamesRadar announced that the new game Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions will change the rules of the Golden Snitch. The video game will have the winged ball worth 30 points instead which won’t be enough to guarantee a win for your team. But, it’ll be a great chance for a losing team to catch up or help a winning team be more triumphant. Another great advantage to the new rule is that catching the Snitch won’t end the game with teams needing to score at least 100 points to win.
As explained in the Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions trailer, developer Unbroken Studios explains these Quidditch differences are to encourage “fun, balanced gameplay.” I’d have to agree as it feels like an unfair advantage to the other players of both teams if making or breaking a game falls on the shoulders of a Seeker catching the Golden Snitch. It’s almost like the Seeker might as well be the whole game. But, maybe Harry having a role of his own in the magical sport was done as another major challenge the boy wizard had to overcome fighting off dark forces and opponents on the field.
Getting to see Quidditch scenes come to life on the big screen from J.K. Rowling's book series definitely helped the flying sport achieve the popularity it has now. The Hogwarts sport went from fictional to real life with the founding of the United States Quidditch Association in 2007 to ensure colleges could give the wizarding sport a whirl. Whether you play Quidditch on the ground, in a video game, or jumping out of a plane, it’s the real deal.
Maybe one of these days, a Quidditch Through the Ages movie could happen in the form of a documentary about the impact Quidditch had in the books, movies, and real life. Imagine even if a Quidditch spin-off film came about of upcoming athletes competing in the Wizarding World. If that does happen, it would be cool if they could incorporate the new rules instead of the old ones.
After Unbroken Studios created a new Harry Potter video game that changed the silly rules of the Golden Snitch, I’ve got to say I’m relieved the role of the flying ball no longer guarantees a Quidditch win. In the newly released video game, catching the Snitch will now be a helping tool to up your game compared to the Seeker achieving all of the 150-point glory.
Be sure to visit your local video game store to purchase Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions. You also can’t forget to relive your glory days seeing Quidditch played by the cast of the Harry Potter series on your Max subscription.
