As you and your wizarding family are out in the world capturing Foundables (and defeating Confoundables), AT&T and Simon will have special Inns and Fortresses to discover and interact with.
Harry Potter: Wizards Unite has been out for less than a week, and Niantic, the developer behind the game, is looking to incorporate Muggle businesses into the in-game experience. Players can now encounter sponsored real-world businesses, namely AT&T stores and Simon properties (Simon is a property group that operates a good number of malls that we visit).
Wandering around in Niantic’s most popular title, Pokemon Go, players encounter sponsored PokeStops, most notably with Starbucks. These sponsored PokeStops are ads and offer discounts or special drinks, depending on which Starbucks you visit (and when).
The AT&T sponsored Inns and Fortresses in Harry Potter: Wizards Unite will be in full swing starting on June 21 and July 15. On June 21, players will be able to earn additional rewards at AT&T locations, while the same opportunities will be available at Cricket Wireless starting on July 15. According to Niantic, “AT&T sponsored locations will give players more XP at Fortresses and more spell energy at Inns.” Players will also be able to participate in “exclusive, limited time quests only available at AT&T and Cricket locations to help them level up faster.”
In addition to the XP boost, AT&T stores have 25 exclusive Wizards Unite products (like battery packs) for players to extend their play-time in the wizarding world. New customers to Cricket Wireless (purchasing through its website) will be able to receive “up to $50 of in-game Galleons as a gift with purchase.”
Simon’s participation in the sponsored Inns and Fortresses is already in full-swing. There will be “increased rewards and elusive enemies” at Simon Malls, Mills, and Premium Outlets (200+ locations across the U.S.). For instance, players will receive more XP and Spell Energy at these locations than they would receive at non-sponsored locations.
Both sponsors will participate in real-world Harry Potter: Wizards Unite events, as well.
Keep in mind, parents, that if your kids play Wizards Unite on a child account, they won’t be able to see or interact with sponsored locations by default. However, if your kiddo logs into the game through “Niantic Kids,” you have the option to allow them to see sposnored content by visiting the Niantic Kids Parent Portal.
As Wizards Unite continues to ramp up in popularity over the coming weeks and months, we expect to see more sponsors cropping up around the U.S., especially.
