After the success of the augmented reality (AR) game "Pokemon Go," Niantic is here again to offer a "Harry Potter" AR game.
Developer Niantic announced on Wednesday, Nov. 8, that a new game much like "Ingress" and the more popular "Pokemon Go," which make users catch pocket monsters in different locations, will soon be released. Dubbed "Harry Potter: Wizards Unite," the game will give "Potterheads" a chance to be wizards in real life.
Niantic also added that players will get to experience J.K. Rowling's wizarding world. "Players will learn spells, explore their real world neighborhoods and cities to discover & fight legendary beasts and team up with others to take down powerful enemies," the company added.
The game is developed in collaboration with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, which revealed that the "Harry Potter: Wizards Unite" was just one of the games that would be released under the Portkey Games. It was named as such because portkeys allow wizards to go from one place to another.
"With Portkey Games, we are thrilled to answer the fans' requests for more games inspired by J.K. Rowling's Wizarding World," the president of Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, David Haddad, said. The company was also behind the game "Lego Harry Potter: Years 1-4."
"Ingress" was the first augmented reality game released by Niantic in 2012, though it was not as warmly welcomed by players as "Pokemon Go," which still attracts players to this day. In an interview with BBC, IHS Markit consultancy's Piers Harding-Rolls believes that the upcoming "Harry Potter" game was promising and would be an apt "follow-up" to "Pokemon Go."
Rumors about a possible "Harry Potter" augmented reality game began circulating in July last year, but they were immediately denied. The launch of the "Harry Potter: Wizards Unite" is yet to be announced. Players should then await further announcements through Niantic's social media accounts.
