Will Harry Potter be the next Pokémon Go for Niantic?

Pokémon Go was a life-changing moment for both its maker- Niantic Labs as well as its many die-hard fans. The augmented reality mobile game turned real-world streets, neighborhoods and cities into a global game board bringing many people together in a shared digital reality.

But this story is now almost a year old and the digital world is awaiting its next Pokémon Go. Well, you don't have to wait that long as Niantic has announced Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, an AR title set to launch in 2018, co-developed by Warner Bros. Interactive and its new sub brand Portkey Games.

"With Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, players that have been dreaming of becoming real life Wizards will finally get the chance to experience J.K. Rowling’s Wizarding World. Players will learn spells, explore their real world neighborhoods and cities to discover & fight legendary beasts and team up with others to take down powerful enemies," Niantic said in its blog post.

The app is now official, but the details are still scarce. According to Niantic, Harry Potter: Wizards Unite will be influenced by Niantic’s cult classic game Ingress, which allows people to collect boosts, defend locations, and explore their environment, mixing the real world and the digital.