Harry Potter Game Wizards Unite Launches In New Zealand

Pokemon Go developer Niantic's next big game, Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, is beginning its global rollout. As of late last week, the company has soft-launched the game in New Zealand. A beta is now available in the country for iOS and Android, Niantic has announced. The purpose of the beta is to provide feedback that Niantic says will ultimately help the final release when it's ready.

Mobile games often launch in smaller markets first before making their global debut, so this move is not unusual. It also doesn't suggest a launch elsewhere in the world is imminent; we don't yet have an exact release date for the game.

Those in New Zealand eager to play Wizards Unite should be aware that, because it's only a beta, a number of features, design, supported languages, and the "overall appearance" are all subject to change. "The product might be buggy and unstable at times. We're looking forward to your feedback so that we can improve the game experience," Niantic said.

In Wizards Unite, you play as a member of Statute of Secrecy Task Force, and you are challenged with exploring the real world, locating Foundables (important people and items in the wizarding world), and dispelling the Confoundable magic that's trapping them. While the basic premise of the game is similar to Pokemon Go, it also bears many similarities to a traditional RPG, with a stronger emphasis on story and RPG elements like skill trees and potion brewing.

Harry Potter: Wizards Unite was originally scheduled to launch in 2018 before being delayed into this year. You can read more about the title in our hands-on impressions, and Android users can pre-register for it on Google Play. There is no word as of yet regarding when the final game will be available around the world.

While you may have to wait a while longer to play Wizards Unite, the other new Harry Potter mobile game, Hogwarts Mystery, is available around the world right now.