Hogwarts Legacy Leveling Guide - Fastest Ways to Gain XP Early

Alexa Hunter

Mar 19, 2026

Hogwarts Legacy is all about leveling up. Unless you do that, you will be stuck in the game forever. For example, you could spend ten hours in the Forbidden Forest deleting every spider in the trees. But if you’ve already finished the "Defeat Spiders" challenge tier, you’ll get exactly zero XP for the effort. And zero XP means you stay frozen in the game. Reaching Level 40 is a mechanical grind. You’re probably going to hit a wall around level 35 because XP farming gets difficult as you go.

To get this game, you can use your Hogwarts Legacy steam key from LootBar. Here is a detailed guide to gain XP faster so that you can get to level 40!

Major XP Sources at a Glance

Source	XP Type	Best For	Meta Tip
Main Quests	Milestone	Major progression	Gated by level; don't rush.
Revelio Pages	Discovery	Levels 1-15	Spam in the Library Annex.
Dueling Feats	Combat	Mid-game scaling	Don't kill enemies too fast.
Merlin Trials	Exploration	Gear slots	Stops giving XP after 52 trials.
Beast Breeding	Room of Requirement	Passive leveling	Unlock as soon as possible to run in the background.
Infamous Foes	Combat	High XP dumps	Check the "map icons" in villages.

Step 1: Complete the Main Quests

Most players expect a "Kill = XP" loop. But that’s not usual in Hogwarts Legacy. In this game, experience is only awarded when you complete the task at hand. Once that task is over, your XP source is also turned off. No matter how many times you repeat that same task, no XP is gained further.

This applies to everything, that is, Field Guide pages, Merlin Trials, and even those pesky Balloon clusters. Once the challenge associated with an activity is marked "Complete" in your menu, that activity stops yielding XP. This is why completing all the tasks in your menu should be your priority.

Step 2: The Early Game "Revelio" Sprint (Levels 1-15)

The fastest way to jump-start your character is by walking. Specifically, walking through Hogwarts Castle and Hogsmeade with the Revelio key pressed down. Every Field Guide Page you collect is a flat 80 XP. Also, spend an hour in the Library Annex and the Astronomy Wing instead of just following the main quest. Every bronze statue, dragon-shaped brazier, or flying piece of parchment can give you 80 XP with the Revelio spell.

When you enter Hogsmeade, you can start exploring for Field Guide Pages. Every shop has a "Store Page" inside. You can jump three full levels in twenty minutes just by entering every building in the village and hitting Revelio.

Step 3: "Blue/Purple" Gear Strategy

Once you unlock the Room of Requirement and the Loom (usually after the Beast class storyline), you unlock one of the easiest XP sources in the game. You can get XP for upgrading your gear 30 times.

Here is what you can do:

Instead of wasting your rare beast materials on your "Best-in-Slot" legendary gear, keep a stash of low-rarity blue or purple gear.

Upgrade a blue item once.
Collect the challenge tick.
Sell the item.

Since blue gear requires fewer materials like Jobberknoll feathers or Puffskein fur, you can clear all 30 upgrades at once for a massive XP surge without depleting your rare Phoenix Feathers.

Step 4: Dueling Feat

Dueling Feats like "Leviate a burning enemy" or "Hit a retreating enemy with Expelliarmus" are the real XP providers. While a single kill can help you finish a challenge, completing these feats can provide you with extra XP.

For example, if you are fighting six Ashwinders, you can draw them out instead of killing them directly. This way, you can effectively double or triple your XP gain per fight. Sounds fun, right? All you need to do is get the game using your LootBar game key after purchase!

Step 5: The Merlin Trials and Ancient Magic Traces

There are a total of 95 Merlin Trials in the Highlands. However, you cannot get XP for all of them. Only the first 52 Merlin Trials grant 80 XP per completion. After that 52nd trial, they will only unlock more gear slots.

What you can do is, once your inventory is at a comfortable size, you can shift your focus to Ancient Magic Traces or Infamous Foes. They have a much higher potential for XP farming in the early-to-mid game. They also increase your Ancient Magic meter.

Also, don't ignore the Balloons even if you are focused on the main quest. Popping a full set (5 balloons) contributes to a challenge tier. You gain travel XP that can significantly fulfill your XP needs.

Step 6: Beast Breeding

Once Deek gives you the "Foal of the Dead" quest, you unlock Beast Breeding. Most players treat this as a side hobby. However, it is essential if you want to reach level 40.

What you need to do is breed 10 unique beast species to max out this challenge category. For this, you can set up a breeding pen, throw two Kneazles in there, and do a quest. When you return, the "Challenge Completed" notification will pop up. This means you can readily claim XP.

Conclusion

The journey to Level 40 in Hogwarts Legacy is not about combat. It is more about how fast you can complete the challenges. To efficiently gain XP, you can find a hidden Field Guide page or breed a new beast. The ultimate choice is yours!

The most critical takeaway is to always check your Challenges menu. If an activity is no longer yielding XP, change your focus to the next one. Farming Dueling Feats in a new area, upgrading blue gear, or unlocking the next tier of Infamous Foes can also give you enough XP. This way, you will bypass the common Level 35 wall and reach the cap, ensuring you are fully prepared for the final battles of your wizarding journey!