'Harry Potter: Wizards Unite' From 'Pokémon Go' Creator Releases 2nd Half of 2018
"Harry Potter: Wizards Unite," the augmented reality gaming app for the smartphone, has a targeted release schedule from Niantic. The company that made "Pokémon Go" reveals that the new game will be out in the second half of 2018.
Niantic CEO John Hanke spoke to Financial Times about the company's plans for 2018. Apart from revealing the planned rollout schedule for the "Harry Potter" augmented reality game, Niantic also talked about the availability of "Pokémon Go" in China.
Hanke assured fans of "Harry Potter" that the smartphone game will have a smoother framework than "Pokémon Go." The CEO noted that the company learned from its mistakes with the first game and will, therefore, be in a better position to deliver "Harry Potter: Wizards Unite" with little issues.
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"Harry Potter: Wizards Unite" will be quite familiar to fans of the J.K. Rowling franchise. Hanke did not outline what users could expect, but speculations are that the augmented reality game will involve exploration in the real world, which has a similar gameplay as "Pokémon Go." Users might also learn spells and team up with friends to beat monsters or beasts.
Niantic is working on "Harry Potter: Wizards Unite" with Warner Bros. Interactive and Portkey Games. It will make use of the same platform from "Ingress," a location-based augmented reality game that Niantic owns.
It's not, however, just "Harry Potter: Wizards Unite" that's coming to smartphones. Warner Bros. Interactive also has another augmented reality game in the pipeline with "Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery."
Jam City is developing the game, which will focus on players as student magicians at Hogwarts. They will be able to participate in classes, as well as join different school activities.
The release date for "Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery" has not yet been confirmed but it's also set for a 2018 debut. It will be playable on both Android and IOS devices.
Meanwhile, Niantic announced that "Pokemon Go," which came out in 2016 worldwide, might finally launch in China. Since the country blocks Google, Niantic plans to partner with other Chinese gaming companies for "Pokemon Go" and in accordance with China's internet regulations.
