To be clear, this isn’t an attempt to somehow suggest that the Harry Potter franchise is anything less than a genuine global phenomenon that made an impact that will likely echo throughout the ages. Yet, it’s difficult to talk about this decision and not wonder whether or not Wizards Unite‘s shutdown has something to do with a widespread feeling of burnout towards the Harry Potter franchise as well as concerns regarding its place in the current cultural landscape. That isn’t to say that the events of the last year or so caused this shutdown but rather that they almost certainly negatively impacted this game’s growth on some level. On top of that, you can’t overlook the fact that AR games like Wizards Unite often struggled to adapt to restrictions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

As Niantic says, Wizards Unite was always a more narrative-driven game than something like Pokémon Go, which led some to suspect that it might naturally have a shorter shelf life than some of Niantic’s other titles.

On the surface, this shutdown doesn’t seem that dramatic. Many of those bonuses go into effect starting today (such as an increase to all Daily Assignment rewards and a global reduction to Potion Brew times), while others (like a Horcrux Hunt event) will begin starting in December. While Wizards Unite‘s servers will be shut down on January 31 (meaning you will also no longer be able to download the game at that time), Niantic has confirmed that they will host a series of special events as well as offer a series of bonuses from now until then. We accomplished that together, delivering a two-year narrative story arc that will soon complete.” Our goal with Harry Potter: Wizards Unite was to bring the magic of the wizarding world to life for millions of players as they stepped outside and explored their neighborhoods. “Not all games are meant to last forever. “We launched Harry Potter: Wizards Unite more than two years ago, bringing together a community of witches and wizards from all over the globe in an epic quest to put an end to the Calamity and keep the wizarding world safe,” says Niantic via a statement. Developer Niantic (the studio behind Pokémon Go) has announced that they intend to shut down AR mobile game Harry Potter: Wizards Unite starting on January 31, 2022.

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