Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mysteryhas received frequent updates from developer Jam City since the game’s launch a couple of months ago. While most of the updates have added new story content and gameplay features, the latest one introduces ads to the free-to-play mobileHarry Pottergame.
Optional ads can now be found inHarry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, though it’s unclear if all players are seeing them at the time of this writing. Ads appear in the bottom left-hand corner of the screen, and players have the option to watch them or not. If players do decide to watch ads, they will be rewarded with free gems. In our own testing, we were rewarded with three gems for watching one ad.
The ads are optional and offer players another way to earnfree gems(which in turn can be spent on cosmetic items, to skip waiting periods for story events, and on energy), so Jam City may avoid upsetting its dedicated fans. However, players who have already criticizedHogwarts Mysteryfor the way it implements its microtransactions may simply find the ads to be yet another reason to criticize the game.
While it’s true thatHarry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery’s use of microtransactions has been controversial, the game has managed to find some dedicated fans nevertheless. In fact,Hogwarts Mysteryhas proven to be quite popular, with aninfographic released by Jam Cityoffering some rather impressive statistics. For example, players in the game have racked up 3.1 billion house points so far, and have cast a whopping 225 million spells.
It’s clear thatHarry Potter: Hogwarts Mysteryhas been divisive, and the addition of ads is likely to just give more ammunition to its detractors. However, with gems being such a precious resource in the game, those who have continued playing all the way through to its Year 4 content will likely appreciate the additional way to earn the currency without breaking out their wallet.
Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mysteryis out now for iOS and Android mobile devices.
