HBO Max Begins Global Rollout of HOUSE OF DRAGON Augmented Reality App

In anticipation for the premiere of new HBO Original "House of the Dragon," debuting August 21, HBO Max has launched House of the Dragon: DracARys, the official augmented reality app for the series.

With the app, fans around the world will be able to "hatch" and raise their own virtual dragons at home. Each dragon will be unique to its user, and as it grows it will develop its own look and temperament driven by its keeper's interactions with it, all based on the lore from George R.R. Martin's world.

Users will also learn Valyrian words from "House of the Dragon" to command their dragon through a bespoke voice recognition system. Dragons will grow to enormous size, hitting developmental milestones on their way to full adulthood where they will be able to roam the world for other users across the world to see and interact with.

The HBO Max digital innovation and marketing teams collaborated with The Mill's team of artists, technologists, and strategists to develop House of the Dragon: DracARys FROM SCRATCH using the Unity game engine and powered by Niantic's Lightship technology with immersive sound design by London-based studio, Factory.

"With 'House of the Dragon: DracARys' we have built the most personalized, responsive, virtual creature to ever live on your phone, brought to life in the latest augmented reality technology," said Victor Pineiro, Director, Digital Innovation, HBO Max. "We can't wait for fans to engage with DracARys and further immerse themselves in the world of Westeros."

"When the dragons of Westeros appear on the show it's always a breath-taking, awe-inspiring moment," said Kevin Young, Creative Director at The Mill and Lead Creative on 'House of the Dragon: DracARys. "With DracARys we wanted users to experience those moments of awe and wonder in the context of their everyday lives. Our ambitions are to complement the world of Westeros and the mythology of the show in an enriching way, while pushing the boundaries of what is possible with virtual characters existing in mixed realities," he adds.

"House of the Dragon: DracARys" was first launched exclusively on July 20th at San Diego Comic-Con to attendees of the immersive guided experience "House of the Dragon: The Dragon's Den."

The app is now available to download on Apple and Google Play app stores in 19 countries, including Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Hungary, Mexico, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, The Netherlands, UK and USA. Additional countries will be announced at a later date.

HBO Max™ is a streaming platform that offers best in class quality entertainment, delivering the greatest array of series, movies and specials for audiences of all ages from the iconic brands of HBO, Warner Bros., and DC, as well as Max Originals, blockbuster films, and beloved kids and family content.

The platform launched in the United States in May 2020 and introduced a lower priced, advertising-supported tier in June 2021. Currently available in 61 countries, HBO Max began its global rollout launching in markets across Latin America and the Caribbean last summer, followed by European launches in the Nordics, Iberia, the Netherlands and Central and Eastern Europe.

Based on George R.R. Martin's "Fire & Blood," the series, set 200 years before the events of "Game of Thrones," tells the story of House Targaryen. Executive produced by George R.R. Martin, Ryan Condal and Miguel Sapochnik, the show stars Paddy Considine, Matt Smith, Olivia Cooke, Emma D'Arcy, Steve Toussaint, Eve Best, Fabien Frankel, Sonoya Mizuno, and Rhys Ifans with additional cast Milly Alcock, Bethany Antonia, Phoebe Campbell, Emily Carey, Harry Collett, Ryan Corr, Tom Glynn-Carney, Jefferson Hall, David Horovitch, Wil Johnson, John Macmillan, Graham McTavish, Ewan Mitchell, Theo Nate, Matthew Needham, Bill Paterson, Phia Saban, Gavin Spokes, Savannah Steyn.

Watch a preview of the app here: