Skip to main content

Harry Potter: Wizards Unite beta offers early microtransaction details

Harry Potter Wizards Unite mobile game niantic microtransactions gold gringotts pokemon go
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Niantic struck absolute gold with Pokémon Go, ushering gamers out into the streets to mingle with one another while capturing the legendary creatures. The studio’s next project is Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, and the game recently entered the beta stage in Australia and New Zealand. Part of the initial rollout is getting a snapshot at what microtransactions will look like in the game as budding wizards attempt to keep the wizarding world a secret.

Kotaku Australia reports that the Gringotts gold in Harry Potter: Wizards Unite come in six forms to start: $1.50 for 80 gold, $8 for 425, $15 for 875, $31 for 1,850, $78 for 4,750, and $160 for 10,000. Considering this is the beta phase, that number could change before the global rollout. Currently, the gold can be spent on potions and elixirs, which help with fighting against the creatures that players encounter while roaming. Specifically, the items help you trace the spells you wish to cast.

Recommended Videos

There are also loot crates, dark detectors, energy boosts, and boxes that contain a collection of potions. One, called Baruffio’s Brain Elixir, offers an XP bonus for half an hour. Pokémon Go featured a collection of microtransactions as well but provided players with plenty of options to earn items while playing. We won’t really have a better idea of how Harry Potter: Wizards Unite compares until release and the beta phase serves as an opportunity for Niantic to tinker away at the game’s balance as well.

Harry Potter Wizards Unite mobile game niantic microtransactions gold gringotts pokemon go
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Harry Potter: Wizards Unite will use Niantic’s map database around the world like Pokémon Go does, using landmarks, stores, and more as important points in the game. Players play the role of wizards and witches that have joined the Statute of Secrecy Task Force and will use their abilities to handle magical disorders. The attraction for collectors is a key to Pokemon Go’s success and it remains to be seen how or if Wizards Unite will replicate this. The official website does tease that a Niffler, made popular in the movie Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, has gotten loose. That could be a clue related to some of the collection quests the game will contain. The full game was delayed in 2018 but should release sometime in 2019.

Charles Singletary Jr.
I'm a Birmingham, AL raised author, journalist, and gaming enthusiast currently residing in San Antonio, TX. My work has…
Loved Expedition 33’s combat? You should try this indie rock RPG
An evil corporate throne room in Fretless.

It's been over a month since I finished everything there was to do in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, and yet I still found myself craving more. I had my qualms with what direction the story took in the final act, but the combat had me hooked and never let go. The satisfaction of mastering parry timing and crafting the perfect build with the Pictos and Luminas was more than enough motivation to finish the story and take down every optional challenge the world had to throw at me.

While I could go back and mess with the difficulty modifiers for a new challenge, I instead found a hidden gem of an RPG that scratches that same itch for tactical but reactive combat, but with a few unique twists that have more than filled that void.

Read more
How long is Donkey Kong Bananza?
Donkey Kong and Pauline blast the enviornment in Donkey Kong Bananza.,

We only had to wait one month after the Nintendo Switch 2 launch to get our first shiny new 3D platformer. However, it isn't a new Mario game like you might've assumed, but DK taking center stage. Donkey Kong Bananza is all about smashing and digging your way with Pauline to the planet's core while facing off against a cast of villains. Being able to terraform the levels completely changes the pace of a normal platformer, but does it mean you can bypass everything and finish the game in a few hours? What if you are the type of person who wants to get every collectible there is? In either case, you might be surprised at how Donkey Kong Bananza actually is. After playing the game from start to finish, here's how long you can expect to spend playing Donkey Kong Bananza.

How long to beat Donkey Kong Bananza?

Read more
Apple has launched a new puzzle game that might give Wordle a run for its money
A word puzzle with emojis.

Wordle has been the puzzle game to beat for years, but Apple just released a new competitor game that could be a smash hit. Emoji Game was released today for Apple News+ subscribers and gives players a set of daily puzzles that revolve around using emojis to uncover different phrases.

Starting today, July 17, anyone with an Apple News+ subscription will find Emoji Game added to the suite of other word and puzzle games on the service. Games will feature three phrases that players will need to decode based on a selection of emojis that represent each part of the phrase by dragging them to the correct spots to fill in the blanks. For example, you might be given the beginning of a word as PINE and the emoji of an apple. By dragging the apple into the space, you create PINEAPPLE. You only have six turns to solve the puzzle, but you can also use a built-in hint feature if you're feeling stuck.

Read more