After a year since Portkey Games and Niantic announced an upcoming Harry Potter AR game, Niantic has revealed the first trailer. Or rather, first teaser. Entitled Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, the game will be the Wizarding World’s equivalent of Pokemon Go. The teaser doesn’t reveal too much, but it’s nevertheless a good reminder that this game will potentially take the world by storm.
While the initial announcement provided scarce details about the game, this at least gives us a better idea of what it will consist of. Somewhat. It looks like the wizarding sport of Quidditch may be a part of it, even though we only see someone catch the famed golden snitch walking down an alleyway and not flying on a broom. So perhaps the game will simply reference it. Who knows. The teaser also provides the more clear-cut information that the game will focus on keeping the Wizarding World safe from Muggles, or non-magical folk.
Niantic also put up an official website for the game, which goes into more detail about what players can expect:
“Please resist the urge to panic. Traces of magic are appearing across the Muggle world without warning and in a rather chaotic manner. 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.”
The website also clarifies that players will take on the role of members of the Statute of Secrecy Task Force, and will learn spells in order to keep the knowledge of magic safe from Muggle hands. This sounds somewhat low stakes, but I would be shocked if the game doesn’t find a way to include some of the darker forces in the Harry Potter universe.
While rumored that the game would release towards the end of this year, the website and teaser confirm that Harry Potter: Wizards Unite will in fact debut in 2019.
