It’s now been revealed that Niantic will be working on a new game from another major global franchise.
Dubbed Harry Potter Go, the new title will include Augmented Reality features like Pokemon Go.
The game will be officially called Harry Potter: Wizards Unite but won’t be released until next year.
It is being co-developed by Warner Bros Interactive and Portkey Games, a new label setup to handle titles for both mobile and consoles.
However, details on the forthcoming app, which can be expected to be released on iOS and Android devices, is scarce.
David Haddad, President of Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, commented on the recent announcements, telling fans: “With Portkey Games, we are thrilled to answer the fans’ requests for more games inspired by J.K. Rowling’s Wizarding World.
“We are working with talented creators to build games that focus on player-generated stories, which will live alongside the magical universe created by J.K. Rowling.”
Here’s what Niantic had to say on the new announcement, including a little background on what they hope to achieve.
“We’re incredibly excited to announce this next step in the evolution of AR mobile entertainment. With Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, players that have been dreaming of becoming real life Wizards will finally get the chance to experience J.K. Rowling’s Wizarding World.
“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.
“We’re thrilled to partner with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, and WB Games San Francisco’s development team to bring this magical and beloved series to life in a brand new way.
“Harry Potter: Wizards Unite will leverage the full stack of the Niantic Platform while also providing an opportunity to pioneer all new technology and gameplay mechanics.
“We look forward to seeing you outside on your next adventure. Stay tuned to our social channels for updates as we work to bring this game to life.”
And there’s one feature that fans can expect from the new mobile game, which isn’t currently available on Pokemon Go.
It was recently revealed that Niantic have acquired a social media app team to help bring new functionality to their range of titles.
While some players use other social media platforms to arrange meetups, it appears that Niantic may be taking things a step further in the future.
The company has revealed that they have acquired startup Evertoon, which looks set to enhance Niantic’s existing apps.
This could mean something more social straight out of the blocks for the new Harry Potter Go game.
“The Niantic family is growing, and we couldn’t be more pleased to welcome a great group of people who will help evolve, challenge and grow our company in new ways,” the official Niantic announcement reveals.
“Today I am excited to announce that we have acquired the Evertoon team, who bring with them a wealth of talent and experience in mobile products, tools for creativity, and community building.
“Niniane and her team have been exploring innovative ways to add social mechanics to digital products.
“As our products and platform evolve, they will help build social systems that will benefit our entire community.
“We are also excited to have Niniane’s engineering leadership and team management skills, as our team grows.”