Since the launch of Pokemon Go, fans have been anxiously waiting for more high-profile augmented reality (AR) games. One such game has now arrived in Australia and New Zealand. It’s Harry Potter: Wizards Unite.
Expect bugs and missing features
Harry Potter: Wizards Unite is a Pokémon Go-style smartphone game developed by Niantic and WB Games. The game is currently available in open beta in Australia and New Zealand only on both iOS and Android.
“Download today on the App Store or Google Play to start testing the game and help provide feedback that will improve the game experience,” Niantic said in a blog post.
Since the game is in beta, one can expect some bugs and missing features.
“Features, available languages, design, and overall appearance are not final,” Niantic said. “The product might be buggy and unstable at times.”
Niantic first teased the game in November, and now about six months later, the company has released the beta. The game did appear once before, but it was presumably by mistake when it was available on the iOS App Store last month before being quickly pulled. This AR-based game was originally scheduled to launch last year, but its release was postponed to this year.
About the game
Based on the reports so far, Niantic’s latest AR game is much more complex than Pokémon Go, in which players had to search for Pokemon and battle them at gyms. In Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, players are tasked with collecting artifacts, rescuing other characters, and developing their skill set. However, developers working on the game say some of the game’s features may change during the beta stage.
Enter AR encounters with the Foundables, and dispel the “Confoundable” magic protecting them by tracing glyphs on your device. pic.twitter.com/cJg0dj9Hmh
— Pottermore (@pottermore) March 11, 2019
Harry Potter: Wizards Unite is a free-to-play game with in-game purchases. Players can spend money to buy gold, which they can use to buy time-savers and other boosts. There are no further details on the game, but Niantic dropped a few hints when it first confirmed the game.
“Players will learn spells, explore their real world neighborhoods and cities to discover & fight legendary beasts and team up with others to take down powerful enemies,” the company said previously.
In addition to team play, there will also be an option for real-time cooperative multiplayer battles against opponent teams. Players start as a recruit who must investigate and defeat rogue magicians using spells and other magical elements.
How to get it outside Australia and New Zealand?
It appears Niantic is following a similar launch process for its latest game as it did for Pokémon Go. The latter was initially launched in Australia and New Zealand and later was made available in the U.S., Europe and other regions.
It was possible to install the game early on Android outside Australia and New Zealand by downloading its APK from a third-party source. This doesn’t seem to be the case with Harry Potter: Wizards Unite. According to The Verge, they were able to install the app using the APK, but the content won’t load except for the initial tutorial. This could come as a disappointment for players waiting to try the game in its raw form.
As of now, there is no information on when the final version of the game will be out or if the beta version will be expanded to other regions. Meanwhile, to ensure you get updates regarding the game’s development, you should sign up on the Wizards Unite website or pre-register on the Google Play Store.
iOS users have been asked to “stay tuned for more updates.” One can also follow the game’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages to learn more about it.
New details about the Dortmund Pokemon Go Fest
In other gaming news, Niantic has revealed more details about the Dortmund Pokemon Go Fest. Tickets for the latest event in Germany are included in a raffle, and the raffle prizes include a chance to buy tickets.
The Dortmund fest is similar to other Pokemon Go events in the U.S. Fans who want to attend the event can drop their name in Niantic’s big bin of names. Niantic will draw random names from the bin, giving the chosen fans the ability to buy a ticket for the event.
The Dortmund Pokemon Go Fest is scheduled from July 4-7. It will be a multi-day, one-day event, which means fans will get the same experience no matter which day they attend the event. Thus, fans probably wouldn’t want to go to the event more than one day. Tickets for a single-day admission are priced around €25.
