Niantic, the San Francisco-based video maker of “Pokémon GO,” is developing another AR game that brings gaming and real world locations together. Indications are strong that this will be another boon for destinations.

Here Comes the Wizards

“Harry Potter: Wizards Unite,” a joint venture with Warner Bros., is slated for release in 2019. Players will learn spells while exploring cities and neighborhoods to reveal and battle magical, mythical beasts.  

Similarly to its Pokémon sister, the new game supports Niantic’s goal “…to create interactive games that encourage exercise, social interaction and exploration, giving players the opportunity to play together in the real world and discover the incredible history hidden right in their own neighborhoods.”

An Inventive Travel Incentive

See what San Francisco Travel did with “Pokémon GO” in a blog post.

In November 2018, Niantic announced their travel-related focus via a new partnership with the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). Formed as Niantic Labs, an internal startup within Google, the company was introduced to eTourism Summit attendees in 2016, three months after the “Pokémon GO” release.

Don’t Leave Home Without It

CNBC reports that the game has remained hot, downloaded over 800 million times in its first two years. Fast-growing, top-grossing Pokémon raked in nearly $800 million in revenue in 2018, a 35 percent increase over 2017. Sensor Tower indicates a strong, active, festival-oriented player base has spent $2.2 billion on “Pokémon GO” since its launch, and that “consistent rollout of new features and content” is looking at revenue of $3 billion before 2020.

In January, Niantic wrapped up its Series C funding round with another $245 million in financing, right on the heels of a $190 million equity sale. The company’s valuation is now nearly $4 billion.