Niantic has partnered with Hasbro on Transformers: Heavy Metal, a new augmented reality mobile game now in the works.
Transformers: Heavy Metal will allow players to battle the robots in an AR street environment, similar to Pokemon GO’s raid battle system. Development is being undertaken by Seattle-based studio Very Very Spaceship, which will utilise Niantic’s Lightship platform.
During an interview with Bloomberg discussing the collaboration, Niantic CEO John Hanke confirmed that the previously announced Pikmin AR and Catan: World Explorers games will release later this year. Both titles are currently in soft launch.
It was further stated that Niantic has about a dozen games in active development and it has been speaking with potential buyers about an acquisition. Namely, a conversation with Microsoft was supposedly in discussions at one point, though the latter seemed to have shown no interest in pursuing a deal (according to the Bloomberg report).
“High expectations”
“Transformers is the perfect franchise for AR,” said Hanke.
“Battling and interacting with giant robots in the real world is an amazing experience. We want to live up to the high expectations of Transformers fans around the world and bring them a game, unlike anything they’ve played before.”
Transformers: Heavy Metal will soft launch in New Zealand sometime in June, before rolling out globally later this year.
Niantic recently confirmed that Pokémon GO Fest 2021 would go ahead with a two-day digital event for the second year in a row this July.
The most recent release from the San Francisco studio came in the form of Harry Potter: Wizards Unite in 2019, however, it struggled to find an audience.
