Transformers roll out (onto mobile devices)! Transformers: Heavy Metal is a new mobile AR game using the Niantic Lightship platform, set to launch later this year.
Niantic, Hasbro, TOMY and Very Very Spaceship are partnering up for the title. While the game will use the Niantic Lightship platform, development will be lead by Very Very Spaceship. Lightship is Niantic’s “planet-scale” AR platform that provides developers with an SDK to build AR experiences on a global map, similar to Pokemon Go and other Niantic AR titles.
As you might expect, Transformers: Heavy Metal will center around key franchise characters such as Optimus Prime and Bumblebee fighting against the Decepticons. Here’s a synopsis from Niantic with a bit more on what to expect:
In TRANSFORMERS: Heavy Metal, players will join the Guardian Network, a group of humans who have banded together with the Autobots in a war against the Decepticons. As a Guardian, players will uncover hidden regions across Earth to find resources and battle Decepticons in turn-based battles, either solo or with friends.
According to Niantic, Transformers: Heavy Metal is set to launch globally later this year. However, it will enter “soft launch” in select markets soon. This is pretty standard for most AR mobile games nowadays — recent releases like Minecraft Earth or The Witcher – Monster Slayer have rolled out in smaller countries as a test before expanding to the global market.
To sign up for more info on the game and to find out when your region will be eligible to participate in the game’s beta, head over to the Transformers: Heavy Metal website.
Niantic previously announced another mobile AR title for launch this year, in partnership with Nintendo and focusing on the Pikmin franchise.
