Among the financial success that followed Niantic’s Pokémon Go following its release back in 2016, the developer decided to work its experience for the J.K. Rowling series, Harry Potter. It was not until 2019 that Niantic launched Harry Potter: Wizards Unite. Similar to its previous release, the project would incorporate augmented reality with mobile users to cast spells and explore for more monsters to battle and research.
Even more, it was not long before the firm scheduled its in-person event to take place in Indianapolis that following August. So it was presumed that Niantic already delivered another juggernaut mobile title for the masses to continue returning to. But now it appears that might not actually be the case for Harry Potter: Wizards Unite.
While Niantic launches Pikmin Bloom this month, the firm went on to announce that it will be shutting down Harry Potter: Wizards Unite next year in 2022.
We’re announcing that Harry Potter: Wizards Unite will officially close on January 31, 2022. The game will be removed from the App Store, Google Play and Galaxy Store on December 6, 2021, and players will no longer be able to make in-game purchases as of December 6, 2021.
When we launched Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, our vision was to allow players to experience the wizarding world right in their real-world surroundings as they stepped outside and explored their neighborhoods. Over the years, millions of witches and wizards around the globe have embarked on real-world adventures, coming together to keep magic hidden safe within the wizarding world while joining forces to take on The Unforgivable.
During this time, players have also worked alongside Hermione and Harry as part of the Statute of Secrecy Task Force to unravel the mystery behind the disappearance of the London Five and are now on the verge of putting an end to the Calamity.
In the FAQ for Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, Niantic explains that the game will not be accessible for users to install on either iOS or Android after it is removed from the respected storefronts. And following the game’s official severing at the end of January, the game will be effectively shut down for good, the team explains.
“On January 31, 2022, all features and servers for Harry Potter: Wizards Unite will be turned off. Players who still have the game installed after this date will be unable to play. If you would like to request your account data, please contact support to make this request by January 15, 2022 to allow time for our team to prepare the data.”
Unfortunate as it may seem, but, this is not the first time a prolific franchise mobile series closed up shop. Previously, Mojang Studios decided to shut down Minecraft Earth for all mobile devices. Despite the series outselling Tetris, it still met that fate ultimately. You can read the full report by heading here.
Are you affected by the closing of Harry Potter: Wizards Unite?
Harry Potter: Wizards Unite is currently available for Android & iOS.
Source: Niantic
