Harry Potter Go Is Coming!
In 2016, the launch of the AR based game Pokémon Go had made fans of the popular cartoon anime franchise go crazy. Young and old alike, had taken to their phones and put on their walking shoes to go catch some Pokémon.
So now after the tremendous success Niantic has had with Pokemon Go, where they paired their expertise in building location-based augmented reality mobile experiences with a top-flight IP with a ravenous fan base. They are all set to launch Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, in 2018. The app is co-developed by Warner Bros. Interactive and its new sub brand Portkey Games.
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The rumors for the Harry Potter Go app have been on the internet for over a year now, however the rumors were quickly shut down. But it has become official that a Harry Potter Go game is in the works with a release date set somewhere in 2018. The game is said to have significant influence from the Niantic’s Ingress, which allows players to roam the real world collecting power-ups, defending locations and exploring their environment.
In the official announcement for Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, Niantic’s Lab stated:
“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.”
