Pokémon GO has done a great job of bringing the series’ world of monsters and battles to the real world and the AR title has seen a good deal of success thanks to Niantic’s dedication and hard work. It looks as though the company is now set to start on a new adventure of its own, blending impressive wide-scale AR gaming with the unique real-world storytelling of Punchdrunk, the company behind the immersive theater production of Sleep No More.

A recent press release revealed the two are set to collaborate on a series of theater performances that utilize augmented reality capabilities. Niantic explained in a blog post that they’ve made great strides in allowing players to become the center of their AR adventures such as Ingress, Pokémon GO, and Harry Potter Wizards Unite. Over the course of the studio’s evolution, Niantic has decided to try their hand at making players the main character in their own epic adventure movie, or at least that’s what they’re going for with their latest collaboration. The partnership with Punchdrunk will allow them to begin working on a whole new avenue of ideas and creativity, hopefully spawning something truly wonderful for fans to enjoy.

For those outside the know, Punchdrunk specializes in a unique type of live-theater called “immersive theatre,” which sees audience members move between various settings to observe performances. Sleep No More is one of the company’s most famous examples, having won several accolades for the play’s unique presentation, which is often likened to “walking into a video game” – a comparison Punchdrunk expressed hope to explore in its new partnership with Niantic.

“At Punchdrunk we create richly cinematic 3D worlds where audiences can explore, touch and smell the environment; where the boundaries between reality and fantasy are indistinguishable,” Punchdrunk Artistic Director Felix Barrett said in a statement. “Those that have seen Sleep No More often liken the experience to how it might feel to walk into a video game. What happens if you take that sense of adventure into the real world? Tear down the walls and the world becomes your stage. I believe that Punchdrunk and Niantic can create something that has never been done before. They do it in AR, we do it in real life. Collide the two and I think we will blow people’s minds; bend the rules of genre and redefine the norms of mobile gaming.”

Sadly, there wasn’t anything mentioned as far as what the developers are looking at creating so far, but Pokémon GO’s Niantic did mention that upcoming projects will be completely new and won’t affect current titles. Are you excited to see what a collaboration between the two studios can create? Let us know your thoughts on the latest partnership between Niantic and Punchdrunk in the comments section below. As always don’t forget to follow Don’t Feed the Gamers on Twitter for 24/7 coverage of all things gaming and entertainment.

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