Niantic Shares Gameplay Details for Upcoming 'Harry Potter: Wizards Unite' Augmented Reality App

Monday March 11, 2019 6:00 PM PDT by Juli Clover
Niantic, known for Pokémon Go, has been working with WB Games on a new augmented reality project set in the Harry Potter universe. Today, Niantic officially unveiled some gameplay details, giving us our first look at how the game will work.

In Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, players become recruits of the Statute of Secrecy Task Force and must investigate and contain a "Calamity" that has befallen the wizarding world.


Players (or witches and wizards) from around the world will need to come together to cast spells and return Foundables, which are apparently artifacts, creatures, people, and memories, to their proper place after freeing them from Confoundable magic, all with the goal of keeping magic hidden from muggles.
As you step outside and explore the world, the Map will reveal Traces of magic, highlighting the location of magical Foundables. While these Traces can be found all around you, certain Foundables may be more likely to appear at various types of real-world locations including parks, banks, municipal buildings, college campuses, libraries, monuments, zoos, art galleries, and more. Cast a variety of spells to overcome the Confoundable magic, keep the magical Foundables safe, and send them back to the wizarding world. By returning Foundables, you'll earn unique rewards that can be tracked in the game Registry.
All in all, it sounds similar to Pokémon Go, with players locating magical artifacts instead of Pokémon, and using spells rather than Pokéballs to capture them. Players will have access to inns to replenish spell energy, magical ingredients for brewing potions, and portkeys that unlock AR portals into "iconic wizarding world locations."


According to Niantic, combat will also be included when witches and wizards visit real-world locations called Fortresses, which host Wizarding Challenges. These are real-time multiplayer battles against dangerous foes, similar to the raids in Pokémon Go.

Players will be able to specialize in different magical professions, including auror, magizoologists, and professors, each with unique skills and abilities.

Niantic plans to launch Harry Potter: Wizards Unite on iOS and Android later in 2019.

Tags: Harry Potter, Niantic
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tothemoonsands
11 months ago
As an avid gamer and Harry Potter enthusiast....I still don't get the point of AR games like this and Pokemon Go. In my opinion, no AR game is as fun as a real video game (yet), and who wants to be that guy running around with a phone in front of their face?

AR glasses could change the equation, but then the question becomes what do the input controls look like? If it comes down to gestures, then once again...do you really want to be that guy? I, for one, do not want to live in a world where everyone is swiping mid-air!
Rating: 3 Votes
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Regbial
11 months ago
Oh no....
Rating: 2 Votes
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MVMNT
11 months ago
Can’t wait to catch me a Pottermon or a Hermynee...
Rating: 1 Votes
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Xenc
11 months ago
At least it’s not the nickel-and-diming money grab that was Hogwart’s Mystery.

https://uk.ign.com/articles/2018/04/30/harry-potter-hogwarts-mystery-players-upset-with-use-of-microtransactions
Rating: 1 Votes
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Cat-tain Mewval
11 months ago

As an avid gamer and Harry Potter enthusiast....I still don't get the point of AR games like this and Pokemon Go. In my opinion, no AR game is as fun as a real video game (yet), and who wants to be that guy running around with a phone in front of their face?

AR glasses could change the equation, but then the question becomes what do the input controls look like? If it comes down to gestures, then once again...do you really want to be that guy? I, for one, do not want to live in a world where everyone is swiping mid-air!


You do realize that before Niantic manage to shoot themselves in the foot by disabling the user made trackers everybody loved, Pokemon Go was one of the most popular games in the world right? I would go to parks and see families playing this AR game together, there were crowds of people in not just parks but stores, malls, parking lots. Strangers offering advice and randomly socializing. It was one of the most amazing social experiments I've seen in my entire life. It was so social, there were people out with their kids at 10 and 11 at night at mall parking lots catching Pokemon. Pokemon Go was a lot of fun, you might not have understood it or maybe you just had Pidgeys or Ratatats in your area (Pidgey, you suck, I'd rather catch a Magikarp), but its a rare thing to find a game that crosses generational boundaries, creates impromptu social groups and is accessible to everyone regardless of skill. Plus it got people to explore the world around them as they "Tried to catch them all". Plenty of people wanted to be "that guy" and if you're worried about what other people think about you when you're playing a game you aren't a real gamer. Real gamers have zero fuks to give. It's gaming, not a popularity contest.
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