Harry Potter: Wizards Unite retail sponsorships mean buffed Fortresses and Inns at your local mall

(Image credit: Warner bros)

Harry Potter: Wizards Unite is finally out, and it's turning plenty of players into witches and wizards. To help propel newcomers on their path to become the wizard king - sorry, wrong franchise - Niantic is working with mobile and retail partners to bring special events to hotspots across the United States. 

If you've ever participated in a Pokemon Go retail sponsorship, you already know what to expect here. For mobile RPG neophytes, here's how things go. Inns and Fortresses which appear at select AT&T stores will now grant more XP and spell energy, respectively, meaning they'll be among the most efficient places to level up and refresh spells. AT&T stores in Chicago and San Francisco will also host "expanded Harry Potter: Wizards Unite build-outs where players can immerse themselves in the augmented reality experience," Niantic said. 

It's not just AT&T, mind you. Sponsored Cricket Wireless stores will also feature boosted Fortresses and Inns, but while the AT&T bonuses are already available, these won't appear until July 15. Non-mobile retailers are also getting involved, with Simon Malls, Mills, and Premium Outlets malls offering boosted Fortresses and Inns of their own. If you're looking for a more efficient walking route to beef up your wizarding rounds, these locations will be a good place to start. 

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Austin Wood

Austin freelanced for the likes of PC Gamer, Eurogamer, IGN, Sports Illustrated, and more while finishing his journalism degree, and he's been with 12DOVE since 2019. They've yet to realize that his position as a senior writer is just a cover up for his career-spanning Destiny column, and he's kept the ruse going with a focus on news and the occasional feature, all while playing as many roguelikes as possible.