Having first announced the development of augmented reality (AR) videogame Harry Potter: Wizards Unite a year ago, Niantic Labs, in conjunction with WB Games and Portkey Games have stayed fairly quiet about its development. Originally slated for a 2018 release, a new teaser trailer released today has confirmed that won’t be happening, with 2019 now the target.
If you were hoping that the new trailer was going to give some concrete insight into the gameplay characteristics of Harry Potter: Wizards Unite then you’re going to be disappointed, it is a teaser trailer after all. Instead, you see a golden snitch flying about through what looks to be a security camera. A witch suddenly appears grabs the snitch and vanishes again.
She leaves behind a clue however, with a poster that reads “The wizarding world is at risk of exposure, we need your help.” The official website fans those flames a little more by saying: “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 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.”
With AR videogames now more commonplace than they were when Niantic Labs released highly successful Pokemon Go, it remains to be seen how the studio in conjunction with WB Games and Portkey Games will advance the genre. Niantic Labs has just released Ingress Prime, but Ghost Corps and FourThirtyThree Inc have launched Ghostbusters World, and Next Games brought out The Walking Dead: Our World, two big franchises looking to fill your gaming time. As further details do emerge, VRFocus will keep you updated.