Harry Potter fans will soon be able to experience the wonder of the Wizarding World from their own phones.
Niantic is partnering with Warner Brothers to develop Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, a new augmented reality (AR) game. Players will be able to encounter iconic characters from J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series, cast spells, find fantastic beasts, and team up with others to defeat powerful enemies.
Niantic, the platform behind the immensely successful AR adventure Pokémon GO, will publish the game. “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,” wrote John Hanke, founder and CEO of Niantic, in a blog post.
“At Niantic, our goal is to leverage technology to create real world experiences that help people to discover the wonderful, and often magical parts of the world around them,”Hanke said in a press release. “The beloved Harry Potter stories have captured imaginations worldwide for more than 20 years and soon we’ll turn the fantasy into augmented reality, allowing fans and their friends to become wizards and witches.”
“With this game, we are allowing the passionate, worldwide fan base to experience J.K. Rowling’s deeply powerful and imaginative universe in a new, truly immersive way,” said David Haddad, Warner Bros president. “It is wonderful to have Niantic’s remarkable augmented reality expertise as we develop this incredibly rich Wizarding World for players to explore in their everyday lives.”
Harry Potter: Wizards Unite is one of a new collection of mobile and console games set in the Wizarding World. Warner Brothers is developing the game under the new label Portkey Games, which is dedicated exclusively to creating experiences inspired by the world of Harry Potter.
Portkey Games is named for the enchanted objects that transport anyone who touches them to a specific location. These objects first encountered in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire are an apt choice for a games label whose first game is AR-driven.
Although there’s no word on the release date, Potterheads can expect more details about Harry Potter: Wizards Unite in 2018.