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Why We're Excited for the Harry Potter AR App
The Harry Potter AR App, Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, is coming out this year—and we can’t wait
Juice up your powerbanks and make sure your charging cables aren’t unraveling because the Harry Potter AR App is coming our way. And let’s just say—to put it mildly—that we’re excited and ready to do our part for the Wizarding World.
We’re brushing up on our spells and enchantments and you definitely should be to.
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Niantic is on it
Niantic, Inc. is a software development company that’s not just any other software development company. It’s best known for developing augmented reality games and actually finding success in this field. Do the words Pokémon Go ring any bells?
What this means is that we have the big guns working on Harry Potter: Wizards Unite. We’re in for a real (and beautiful, if the trailer is anything to go by) adventure in the AR space. Fingers crossed that this means a relatively seamless transition between actual reality and augmented reality, too.
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment’s Portkey Games label is also working on the title.
The Wizarding World needs us
Having the branding of HP might be enough to pique interests, but the hype can only last so long. With the Harry Potter AR app, however, the story draws you in even further.
“Traces of magic are appearing across the Muggle world without warning and in a rather chaotic manner,” the teaser says. “We worry it is only a matter of time before even the most incurious Muggles catch wind of it. We call on all witches and wizards to help contain the Calamity or risk the worst of times since You Know Who. Brush up on your spells, get your wand ready and enlist immediately.”
In Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, players take on the role of a new recruit placed under the Statue of Secrecy Task Force. Individuals will be responsible for solving the mystery of the Calamity, which has caused magical artifacts and creatures to be scattered outside of the Wizarding World.
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The journey
Much like Pokémon Go, players are invited to explore the real world—this time in search for some magic and even some of the Harry Potter characters, if you’re lucky. Imagine walking around with your smartphone poised in front of you and running into Hermione Granger or even Harry Potter himself.
Your task sounds simple: Complete your collection of foundables (AKA the scattered creatures and artifacts), but don’t start thinking it’s all that simple. Each foundable comes with a corresponding confoundable that you have to defeat. Get your wands ready for the occasional alohamora or expecto patronum…Dementors and shackles are abound. The power of your spell depends on how quickly and how accurately you can follow the patterns on the screen.
Then, of course, there are combats and duels as well. Defend yourself with the protego spell and wait for your chance to strike back!
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It’s uncertain at this point when the Harry Potter AR app is coming out; Niantic’s been fairly silent on an actual release date—though they have committed to 2019. Now that half the year is up, we might all get our hands on Harry Potter: Wizards Unite sooner rather than later.
Can’t wait until the mobile game comes out? Get the full experience of Harry Potter with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone™ In Concert, for which Globe customers have a chance to get tickets on June 7—prior to the nationwide sale on June 10. Learn how you can get your tickets here.
Image via Facebook/HPWizardsUnite
