Pokémon GO wasn’t just one of the most popular games of 2016, it was one of the most phenomenal stories of the entire year. Granted, its success was somewhat fleeting, since by 2017 the player base had begun to dwindle, but nonetheless Niantic’s triumph didn’t pass unnoticed. Recently the studio has been awarded a new project that’s sure to fulfill the dreams of millions of fans: become a student at Hogwarts with Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, an augmented reality game based on J. K. Rowling’s universe.
It seems like the Harry Potter frenzy will never die down. It’s been a while since the original book series ended, but the success of the movie Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them has returned the magical universe to the spotlight. But we’d be lying if we said that it ever really left it. While it’s not surprising that there are tons of products based on the series, the fact that there is going to be an augmented reality game definitely comes as a surprise.
Niantic now has a tremendous opportunity in its hands, with an enormous audience of fans of J. K. Rowling’s universe that have always dreamed of joining Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, or Slytherin (sorry Hufflepuff). In their official announcement, Niantic stated that players will be able to learn spells and fight against legendary beasts while running around cities, just like in Pokémon GO. They haven’t said much about what the game will be like, but hopefully it doesn’t repeat some of the errors made by Niantic in the past.
They also haven’t announced a release date for the project, although it will launch some time in 2018. More news about the game is sure to come out in the next few months, but for now you can start enjoying the Harry Potter universe with the Android game based on Fantastic Beasts.
