Australasian wizards can cast spells from today.
Harry Potter: Wizards Unite is now available in open beta in Australia and New Zealand.
The mobile game, developed by Pokemon Go studio Niantic in collaboration with WB games, can be downloaded in both countries for iOS and Android (via The Verge). This is akin to Pokemon Go’s launch schedule, which saw it arrive in Australia and New Zealand before being made available in the US, Europe, and other territories.
Any Android users hoping to bypass the territory restrictions by downloading an APK that has been re-uploaded by a third-party will find that this trick won’t work; while the app will load, it won’t allow progressions past a short tutorial. Instead, you’ll have to wait for a worldwide release date to be announced.
We’ve been hands-on with Harry Potter: Wizards Unite and found it a more complex offering than Pokemon Go, despite using a similar groundwork. It also doesn’t channel the traditional Hogwarts student fantasy, instead finding its ideas in the wider wizarding world.
Matt Purslow is IGN UK’s News and Entertainment Writer, which is probably a better gig than The Daily Prophet. You can follow him on Twitter.
