Niantic skyrocketed to fame with its mobile game Pokémon GO. The concept invited players to become Pokémon trainers in the real world using augmented reality. For Pokémon fans, Pokémon GO was a phenomenal way to truly feel a part of the Pokémon universe. Niantic’s latest mobile game, Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, welcomes Harry Potter fans to their own augmented-reality universe. However, there are some aspects of Wizards Unite that only true fans of Harry Potter, that is, the readers of the books, will understand. Read on if you want to know what facets of Harry Potter: Wizards Unite cater specifically to the readers.
10 Where The “Story” Fits Into The Harry Potter Timeline
The story for Harry Potter: Wizards Unite is very sparse. Honestly, it’s just the wrapping for the present that is the gameplay itself. However, fans of J.K. Rowling’s writing will recognize when the game is supposed to take place. Wizards Unite tasks players with preventing an event called the Calamity. The force of wizards you “unite” with are part of a task force called the Statute of Secrecy Task Force.
You are hired by a witch named Constance Pickering, a friend of Hermione Granger’s. Hermione also works for the Task Force as its head. Readers of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child know that Hermione eventually becomes the Minister of Magic. Therefore, Wizards Unite takes place before Cursed Child and after Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
9 What A Blast-Ended Skrewt Really Is
Some of the Foundables in Wizards Unite sound like made-up words for children. Readers of the Harry Potter series know that this isn’t always the case. For example, Blast-Ended Skrewts were a major part of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
They were one of the creatures Hagrid used for his Care of Magical Creatures class. They even featured in the Triwizard Tournament. In the film version of Goblet of Fire, the Skrewts are nowhere to be seen. Thus, only readers will know what this Foundable really is and how it relates to the Harry Potter universe.
8 What The Heck A Doxy Is
Doxies have been referenced in the Harry Potter series for centuries. (Okay, not really that long, but you know what we’re trying to say here.) Doxy eggs are a frequent ingredient in Harry’s Potions class, and Doxy Venom is used in Fred and George’s Skiving Snackboxes. But for all that they are mentioned in the book, they never appear in the films. Wizards Unite gives fans a chance to see what an actual Doxy looks like in the form of a Foundable. Casual players might think a Doxy is just yet another fantastical creature to stumble upon, but readers will have a true sense of appreciation for seeing what a Doxy looks like.
7 How Potion Brewing Comes Close To The Mobile Version
It’s understandable that players of Wizards Unite might get a tad annoyed with how long it takes to brew potions and how irritating it is that each potion has different “stirring” instructions. Readers will know that the almost technical manner in which you brew potions in the game is similar to how things work in the books.
In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, you learn exactly how much a potion can be affected based on which direction you stir it in. So those little squiggly-line directions you have to follow in Wizards Unite are as accurate as Potions will be in real life.
6 Ilvermorny Crests And What They Signify
If your knowledge of Harry Potter was provided to you courtesy of the movies, then you’re missing about three-quarters of the lore. Plus, if you factor in what has been written on the website Pottermore, you’re also missing information on the extended universe. For example, finding an Ilvermorny Crest in Wizards Unite means nothing if you haven’t read up on the United States’ version of Hogwarts. Avid readers of Pottermore’s updates would have known those crests in an instant.
5 Spells Like “Diffindo”
The main spells that moviegoers know from the Harry Potter films are “Expelliarmus,” “Expecto Patronum,” and “Avada Kedavra.” Those three spells are stated frequently in the films, so casual fans recognize them. Wizards Unite includes more obscure spells that are written in the books. For example, the Severing Charm is not a popular bit of magic in the movies, but Wizards Unite included it in the game. The “Diffindo” spell cuts away bonds from Foundables you encounter on your way.
4 The Importance Of The Tank Of Brains
We’re not kidding around when we say that the Foundables in Harry Potter: Wizards Unite look really weird to the casual player. An average person encountering the “Tank of Brains” would think that’s just some more wizarding nonsense the game included to pad out its library of Foundables.
However, fans of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix will know that the Tank of Brains came from the book, when Harry and his friends stormed into the Ministry of Magic. A tank of mysterious floating brains attacks Ron during their time in the Department of Mysteries.
3 The Origins Of The Bat-Bogey Hex
There are three professions players can pick from in Harry Potter: Wizards Unite. You can be an Auror, a Magizoologist, or a Professor. Each profession has its own skill tree that can be filled out with specific abilities. One of the abilities the Auror can use is the Bat-Bogey Hex. Some might just consider that a random hex Wizards Unite decided to feature. However, this particular hex gained prominence in the Harry Potter books when Ginny Weasley used it against Draco Malfoy to escape from Dolores Umbridge’s office.
2 What The Significance Of The Chudley Cannons Player Is
Wizards Unite will frequently have you freeing different characters from the dastardly Confoundables. Some of these characters will be big-name people from the series. Other times, they will be some randos you have to save.
One of these random humans that you can find is a Chudley Cannons Player. This is a reference to Ron Weasley’s favorite Quidditch team, the Chudley Cannons. Due to time constraints (most likely), the films never mention this little tidbit about Ron. Luckily, Wizards Unite is here to give us that sweet, sweet lore.
1 What The Binns Mode References
Perhaps the biggest omission from the books that the Harry Potter films made was the existence of Professor Binns. Binns was the ghostly instructor that put everyone to sleep in his History of Magic class. However, Wizards Unite made the pretty awesome decision to reference Professor Binns in the game. One of the skills that players with the Professor profession can gain is called Binns Mode. It increases your chances of making a Critical Cast while in combat.
NEXT: The 5 Hardest Foundables To Get In Harry Potter: Wizards Unite (& 5 Easiest)
