The real-world event will take place in Indianapolis on August 31 and September 1.
Game developer Niantic is gearing up to host the first Harry Potter: Wizards Unite Fan Festival in Indianapolis, Indiana from August 31 – September 1.
Similar to Niantic’s Pokemon Go Fest events, the Fan Festival will give attendees the chance to play with thousands of other wizards and witches in Indianapolis’ White River State Park, which will be decked out with “iconic elements from the game” that users can take pictures of / with.
During the event, attendees will be able to complete exclusive in-game quests for a chance to receive rewards. They’ll also be able to encounter dragons, which will make their in-game debut during this event. Dragons will be a new enemy type for players to defeat using spells.
There will be multiple kinds of dragons to encounter during the event, like the Welsh Green and Antipodean Opaleye. After the event ends, different dragons will become region-locked to specific areas of the world (similar to how pocket monsters like Mr. Mime and Tauros are only available in certain areas in Pokemon Go).
Players who are interested in attending Fan Festival can now sign up for the ticket lottery through a link found in the game’s Briefcase menu. If the number of applicants is more than the number of tickets that will be available, a random drawing will be held, with the winners receiving the ability to purchase one or more tickets for themselves and friends.
Both days of the two-day event will feature the same experience, but players can only attend on one of the two days. A general access ticket will cost $30, and will let you play from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time. Early access tickets are $10 more ($40), but they’ll let you start playing early, at 9 a.m. local time.
Even if you can’t attend the event, Niantic said players around the world will still be able to work together with those at the event to “unlock additional special rewards for the global community.”
Harry Potter: Wizards Unite launched on iOS and Android earlier this year. The free-to-play game challenges players to stop “The Calamity” by returning magical objects that appear around them to the Wizarding World.
Brandy Berthelson has been writing about video games and technology since 2006, with her work appearing on sites including AOL Games, Digital Spy, and Adweek. When she’s not gaming, Brandy enjoys crafting, baking, and traveling with her husband.
