SALT LAKE CITY — Accio “Wizards Unite!"
Niantic, the creator of “Pokemon Go,” unveiled details Monday about its highly anticipated augmented reality "Harry Potter" game, and shows off a combat adventure through the Muggle world geared toward older users.
The main plot: The game will begin with players being recruited as members of the Statute of Secrecy Task Force to investigate a mysterious calamity that has caused magical artifacts, creatures and people to appear in the real world, according to the “Wizards Unite” website.
- Players must contain items and return them to where they belong to keep them hidden from Muggles.
Gameplay: Similar to the Pokestops and gyms in “Pokemon Go,” “Wizards Unite” contains inns, fortresses and greenhouses where users can go to bulk their inventory and health.
- Inns replenish users’ spell energy, contain ingredients for potions and host Portkeys that unlock portals to iconic Wizarding World locations, according to ComicBook.com.
- Wizarding Challenges will be held at fortresses, where users can have real-time multiplayer battles against magical foes.
- Players choose characters from several professions, including Aurors, Magizoologists and professors, who can team up during challenges, according to Comic Book.
A video posted to YouTube as well as images from the “Wizards Unite” website show some of “Wizards Unite’s” gameplay, which includes combat encounters with familiar characters and recreation of scenes from "Harry Potter."
Users will need to align their phones to match a symbol on a creature and trace the symbol on the screen to cast spells to defeat it, according to Comic Book.
Warner Brothers, which is teaming up with Niantic for the game, reported in February that “Wizards Unite” will be releasing this summer.
For more information, visit HarryPotterWizardsUnite.com.