The first teaser for the augmented reality game Harry Potter: Wizards Unite has hit the internet. It is a mobile game that allows players to explore the world around them via the lens of their smartphone. Riding on the heels of the massively successful Pokémon Go that followed this same formula, this new game has its own unique flavor.
It’s up to you to protect the wizarding world. Enlist immediately for the Statute of Secrecy Task Force: https://t.co/b9UtoUA3gS #WizardsUnite pic.twitter.com/2NSlOpgj3W
— Harry Potter: Wizards Unite (@HPWizardsUnite) November 14, 2018
The game is co-developed by Niantic and WB Games and is part of the Portkey Games label. It allows for players to explore the world around them and work together to solve a global mystery. Players will also encounter artifacts, magical creatures, and familiar characters from the Harry Potter books and movies. The game has this introduction:
“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 teaser is very interesting but doesn’t reveal too much. A young woman is shown going after a Golden Snitch. The cameras on her flicker. After catching it, she seems to hear something approaching and apparates away. She leaves behind a poster that says the wizarding world is at risk of exposure. It calls for help.
“The Ministry is looking for witches and wizards willing to roll up their sleeves and volunteer to save the wizarding world from the Calamity. As a member of the Statute of Secrecy Task Force (a new task force formed in partnership between the Ministry of Magic and the International Confederation of Wizards) you will hone lightning fast wand reflexes, an ability to sniff out the faintest whiff of magical disorder from afar, and proficiency in advanced casting of multiple spells.”
Harry Potter: Wizards Unite has its own website to explore and to sign up to be part of the task force. It will launch in 2019, with more details to come.
