Harry Potter: Quidditch Game Named Changed to Detach from JK Rowling

Quidditch, game with balls and brooms from the universe of Harry Potterhad its name changed to Quadball to disassociate itself from the author J.K. Rowlingafter she made transphobic comments.

The US Quidditch (USQ) and Major League Quidditch (MLQ) teams have announced the name change to US Quadball and Major League Quadball, according to the Variety. The International Quidditch Association (IQA) will also undergo the change.

According to Deadline, the organizations are also changing their names because they don’t have the rights to the Quidditch name, which belongs to Warner Bros. Discovery. “This name change is a game-changer for us, and we are looking to make the most of it,” said Major League Quidditch founders in an open letter to players.

Chairman of the IQA Board of Trustees, Chris Lau also spoke on the matter: “IQA is very excited to join USQ and MLQ in renaming our sport and supporting this change in our members around the world. We are confident in this step and look forward to all the new opportunities that Quadball will bring. This is an important moment in the history of our sport and personally I am thrilled to be a part of it.”

Since late 2021 teams have been discussing the name change, as Quidditch USA and Major League Quidditch explained in a joint statement last year: “Our sport has developed a reputation as one of the most progressive sports in the world in equality and inclusion. of gender, thanks in part to its gender maximum rule, which stipulates that a team cannot have more than four players of the same gender on the field at any one time.”

“Both organizations feel it is imperative to live up to that reputation in all aspects of their operations and believe this move is a step in that direction,” they concluded.

According to the teams, the game is played by more than 600 teams in 40 countries, including Brazil. The objective is to score as many points as possible by hitting the arcs with balls, while the player classified as “catcher” tries to catch the Golden Snitch, the ball that ends the game.