Harry Potter: Wizards Unite Is Our New Pokémon GO. Let’s Hope It’s Not as Brutal as Wizard’s Chess.
Niantic, creators of Pokémon GO, have teamed with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment to create a Harry Potter augmented reality game. Get ready for Harry Potter: Wizards Unite.
Ok, first of all, I swear I already wrote up this story last year. Did someone do an April Fool’s joke about it or something or am I just making things up? [Edit: I wasn’t making things up, someone definitely reported on this last year and then others debunked the story.] Regardless. This time it’s real.
Earlier today Pottermore announced Wizarding World video game news, mentioning a series of mobile and console games based in the world will fall under WBIE’s new label, Portkey Games.
They wrote, “The games will vary from mobile to console games, and will feature both new characters and – excitingly – could feature familiar characters ‘at different points in their lives’ from the Harry Potter stories.” But not too long after the exciting reveal was made. Niantic wrote:
We’re incredibly excited to announce this next step in the evolution of AR mobile entertainment. With Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, players that have been dreaming of becoming real life Wizards will finally get the chance 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. We’re thrilled to partner with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, and WB Games San Francisco’s development team to bring this magical and beloved series to life in a brand new way. Harry Potter: Wizards Unite will leverage the full stack of the Niantic Platform while also providing an opportunity to pioneer all new technology and gameplay mechanics.
YES!
Pottermore also wrote up the big news saying, “The game encourages you to step outside with your phone, explore your local surroundings and take part in a series of adventures, such as searching for magical creatures and bumping into iconic wizarding world characters along the way. Crikey. Who knows who you’ll spot in your local park? You’ll also be able to cast spells, discover mysterious artefacts, and build up your very own, illustrious wizarding career.”
President of Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, David Haddad, told them, “With this game, we are allowing the passionate, worldwide fan base to explore J.K. Rowling’s deeply powerful and imaginative universe in a new, truly immersive way.”
The launch date for Harry Potter: Wizards Unite has yet to be announced, and the other game(s) haven’t been revealed, but they’ve got all their social media pages at the ready.
As someone who could 100% live at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando, Florida, this is right up my alley. Can’t wait. How about you?
OMG, look how teensy-tiny they started out. I’m getting all misty-eyed at the tiny actors.
This has me very interested. I’d really like more games set in the HP universe, especially if they go beyond the books. What I’ve played of older games was fun, but very limited to being book adaptations, so I really hope this means they might go a bit beyond that.
Especially if it means I at some point get to make my own character and be a witch.