When Pokemon Go launched in 2016, it was a genuine phenomenon. You could hardly take ten steps outside before running into someone staring at their phone, attempting to catch a Pikachu. The fervor inevitably began to dissipate in the months that followed, but Pokemon Go continues to generate millions for the developer Niantic every month. And now, three years later, Niantic will try to capture lightning in a bottle once more.
Harry Potter: Wizards Unite will launch for iOS and Android in the US and UK on Friday, July 21st. The AR game was first announced in late 2017, but Niantic confirmed on Tuesday evening that Wizards Unite’s global rollout is coming. This likely marks the end of the beta that kicked off in Australia and New Zealand in April.
As in Pokemon Go, the world of Harry Potter: Wizards Unite is overlaid on top of the real world, with points of interest dotted all over the in-game map. You will have to actually get up and leave your house in order to play the game, but rather than catching Pokemon, you’ll complete challenges and do battle with mythical creatures.
If you don’t live in the US or the UK, you may not want to get your hopes up for the game to be available on your local App Store or Google Play this weekend, as those are the only two regions confirmed to be getting Wizards Unite this Friday. Niantic says to stay tuned “for more information as the game goes live in your region soon.”
