Earlier today we talked about how Niantic’s next game after the phenomenon that is Pokemon GO will be Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, a game that I seriously can’t wait to get my hands on (huge fan of the series). We now have more details on the game, and it sounds like it’s going to be great fun and should hook another generation of players. Harry Potter: Wizards Unite will have you learning and casting spells, exploring your (muggle-filled) neighborhoods to discover and fight legendary beasts, and teaming up with other wizards and witches to take down familiar enemies. The announcement also talks about “discovering the wonderful, and often magical parts of the world around them," so I think we’ll be able to see those hidden, magical places in the world around us (a bit like the headquarters in Order of the Phoenix or Diagon Alley).

John Hanke, Niantic’s CEO, talked about the game pioneering all new state-of-the-art AR technology and gameplay mechanics, so I’m hoping we won’t be getting a re-skinned Pokemon GO. To be honest, though, I think Niantic is too ambitious to not push the envelope and take advantage of the opportunity to use this incredibly popular IP to grab another huge segment of the population (and probably sell Wands that link up to your phone). I’m extremely excited to see what Niantic will do with the Harry Potter license and the amazing source material. But we’ll have to wait for quite a bit it seems because we won’t get any additional details about the game until 2018. Head over here to sign up for the official newsletter. Ravenclaws, unite.