Niantic shot to international fame in 2016 when it premieredPokemon GO.The mobilePokemongame was a revolutionary entry in augmented reality games, permanently establishing AR as part of Niantic’s brand. It stands to reason, then, that Niantic has explored other mobile AR titles since then, includingHarry Potter: Wizards Unite,which premiered in 2019. Any longtime fan of theHarry Potterworld probably took note of this AR experience where players could explore the real world to interact withHarry Pottercharacters. While the concept was solid and entertained a loyal fanbase for more than two years,Harry Potter: Wizards Uniteis now shutting down.
Harry Potter: Wizards Unite’s cancellation came with very little warning. Niantic has consistently released new content and events, even throughout last October. Although Niantic’s statement ontheWizards Uniteclosuredoesn’t provide an exact reason that the game is shutting down, it’s possible that the game just didn’t retain enough of a playerbase to survive, potentially due to its reputation for bugginess. For thoseWizards Unitedie-hards, though, Niantic is still offering some final events to entertain fans in the game’s final months. Aside from the final details ofWizards Unite’s closure, there are some valuable final events for the game’s fans to enjoy for a while.
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Harry Potter: Wizards Unite’s Final Months
Although there’s only a couple months left to playHarry Potter: Wizards Unite,Niantic seems determined to help players make the most of it. From now until the game’s closure, players will get many more resources. Daily Assignments offer more rewards, Gifts have had their opening and sending caps removed, and Spell Energy, Ingredients, and 1920s Portkey Portmanteaus will appear more often. Potions are also more accessible to help fans max out their characters; Master Notes will halve potion brewing times, and Barrufio’s Brain Elixir will triple XP income.Wizards Unitefans shouldn’t be lackingin any major resources in the coming months.
Aside from keeping fans stocked on resources, there’s plenty of activities on the way, even though the game is closing. Lethal Adversaries have served as major objectives in the game for some time, and Niantic still plans on releasing the final Lethal Adversaries in November and December. Aside from these, a litany of events themed around sixth and seventhHarry Potterbooks are on the way, as well as a holiday season event in December. All of these events will presumably lead up tothe conclusion ofWizards Unite’s overarching storyin January.
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Perhaps the most important thing to know is the game’s exact end date.Harry Potter: Wizards Unitewill shut down on June 27, 2025, but it’ll become inaccessible to new players well before that. The game will disappear from mobile phone app stores on Jul 16, 2025. What’s more,Wizards Unite’s in-app purchases will no longer be available on December 6th, soWizards Uniteplayers had better make the most of their in-game currency before December rolls around. It wouldn’t be surprisingif Niantic offers closure discountsor some other special deals later in November, though this is purely speculation.
The Legacy of Wizards Unite
One wonders why Niantic seemingly decided to closeWizards Uniteso suddenly. It’s possible that it hassomething to do withPikmin Bloom,another Nintendo collaboration in the works at Niantic. OnceHarry Potter: Wizards Uniteis closed, Niantic will have more resources to put intoPikmin Bloom,potentially setting it up for greater success. It’s a shame thatWizards Unitenever achieved the staying power ofPokemon GO,but at least Niantic is aiming to give fans a satisfying closure to the gameplay and narrative beforeWizards Unitegoes offline.Wizards Unitemay be disappearing now, but it taught Niantic plenty of valuable lessons about the AR format that could helpPikmin Bloomand future projects.
Harry Potter: Wizards Uniteis available now for Android and iOS.
