Two years ago, hot off the heels of the success ofPokemon GO, Niantic announced that it was making asimilar game set in the Wizarding World ofHarry Potter. That game,Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, is now launching in some regions, as Niantic has confirmed its UK and USA release date for both iOS and Android devices.
Niantic has confirmed that theHarry Potter: Wizards Uniterelease date is Friday, June 21. This will be across both iOS and Android mobile devices in the UK and USA, and follows a testing phase where the game was already available in some countries. Niantic plans to roll the game out to other regions in the future. The full breadth of content that will be available inHarry Potter: Wizards Uniteat launch is unknown at this time, but we should find out when the game release on June 21.
LikePokemon GOandIngressbefore it,Harry Potter: Wizards Uniteis an augmented reality game that encourages players to explore the world around them. Players can look forward to a persistent online world set in theHarry Potteruniverse, where they will encounter a variety of magical creatures, cast spells, and meeticonicHarry Pottercharacters.
Now that we know theHarry Potter: Wizards Uniterelease date, the next question is whether or not the game will have the same kind of success asPokemon GO.Pokemon GOwas a worldwide phenomenon when it launched in the summer of 2016, but theHarry Potterbrand has been somewhat damaged in recent years. TheFantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwaldfilm is the lowest-rated movie in the series, with disappointing box office returns compared to the other films. Plus,Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, the microtransaction-ridden mobile game that was critically panned, may have left a bad taste in some mobile players' mouths.
Of course,Hogwarts Mysteryhasn’t quite had the same kind of hype behind it asWizards Unite, and as long as Niantic delivers a fun and functional game come Friday, it should be in good shape. With launch just days away, we’ll find out soon enough ifHarry Potter: Wizards Unitewas worth the wait for Wizarding World fans.
Harry Potter: Wizards Unitewill launch on June 21 for Android and iOS mobile devices.
