How To Advance Time In Hogwarts Legacy And Change The Time Of Day
Hogwarts Legacy features a dynamic day-and-night cycle that brings the wizarding world to life, influencing NPC schedules, quest availability, and collectible spawns. Players often need to alter the time to access specific nocturnal quests or collect unique items scattered across the highlands. Fortunately, the game provides a built-in mechanic that allows players to fast-forward time effortlessly without needing to rest at a bed.
How to Access the Wait Function in Hogwarts Legacy
Changing the time of day in Hogwarts Legacy is simple and can be done almost anywhere on the map. Players need to open the main map menu and look at the bottom right corner of the screen for the Wait command prompt. Pressing the designated button—R3 on PlayStation and Xbox controllers, or the F key on PC—will trigger a prompt asking if you want to advance time.
Once confirmed, your character will briefly sit on the floor as a brief transition occurs. Time instantly shifts from day to night, or from night to day, depending on when you activated the function. This convenient feature eliminates the frustration of waiting around for specific times of day to trigger quest objectives.
Why You Should Change the Time of Day
Manipulating time is essential for completing certain side quests and discovering hidden collectibles across the map. Demiguise Statues, for instance, can only be collected during the night when their glowing blue moons become visible. Additionally, certain classes, astronomy tables, and NPC encounters are strictly tied to specific times, making the wait mechanic vital for progression.
Nighttime exploration also changes the atmosphere and danger levels outside the castle walls. Dangerous creatures like Inferi appear more frequently after dark, presenting unique combat challenges for adventurous players. Conversely, gathering ingredients like Lacewing Flies or Leech Juice can sometimes be easier when exploring regions at specific times.
Limitations and Restrictions of Advancing Time
While the wait feature is extremely useful, it cannot be used during active combat sequences or specific story missions. If enemies are nearby or if you are inside a restricted quest area, the option to advance time will be temporarily disabled. You must step away from combat or finish the immediate task before altering the time again.
Understanding these small restrictions helps prevent confusion when trying to trigger night-only events. By utilizing the wait option strategically, players can smoothly navigate Hogwarts and its surrounding areas without unnecessary delays in their magical journey.