Harry Potter: Wizards Unite was announced on November 8, 2017, as an augmented reality mobile game developed by Niantic and WB Games San Francisco. Players are able to visit real-world locations while casting spells, discovering mysterious artefacts, and encountering iconic characters and legendary beasts from the Harry Potter universe. The game draws inspiration from previous AR games Pokémon GO and Ingress. With Niantic's purchase of Escher Reality, the game is expected to implement new technology to allow for persistent worlds within AR. On November 14, 2018, it was confirmed that the game would be released in 2019.
Gameplay
Harry Potter: Wizards Unite gameplay has been described as similar to that of Pokémon Go, with players able to view the gameplay world through a smartphone. The game allows players to fight against mythical beasts from the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts franchise. Players may choose their wizarding house, their wand, and their profession: either Professor, Auror or Magizoologist. After creating a game account, the player makes an avatar, whose location depends on the device's geographical location. The player then travels around the real world to find “confounded” items and creatures, and “unconfound” them. The player can also stop at inns, greenhouses, and fortresses. As the player moves within their real world surroundings, their avatar moves within the game's map.
Release
A first gameplay video for the game was released in March 2019, showing footage defending from a Dementor, and being attacked by a Werewolf. On March 11, 2019, pre-registration on Google Play opened for the app as well as new in-game footage was released by Niantic. On April 17, 2019 the game was beta released in New Zealand. On April 24, 2019, an email was sent in error stating that the game would launch in Australia for beta testing. On April 26, 2019, the game launched in Australia for beta testing. But several hours later, Niantic confirmed it was another mistake and it was taken down from the App Store. The game was re-released in Australia on May 2, 2019. The game was released in the US and the UK on June 20, 2019, a day earlier than previously announced, with additional countries expected to gain access in the days ahead.
Reception
Awards
The game won the People's Voice Award for "Technical Achievement" at the 2020 Webby Awards, whereas its other nomination was for "Family & Kids".
