Merlin Entertainments have this week announced a global strategic partnership with Mojang Studios to bring Minecraft to life through immersive and interactive entertainment attractions in fixed locations around the globe.
Referred to as “Adventures Made Real”, a phrase trademarked by Merlin earlier this month, the partnership will see an initial investment of over £85 million ($110 million) in Minecraft-themed real-life experiences in the first two attractions, which will launch in the US and the UK between 2026 and 2027. The creative collaboration and development of these cross-reality experiences between Merlin Magic Making and Mojang Studios teams will ensure authenticity in all features. These are said to include the development of first-of-its-kind concepts for Minecraft-themed guest accommodation, retail, and food & beverage, alongside exciting experiences – including a Minecraft-themed ride – at Merlin locations in these two countries. Merlin will then expand these experiences to other destinations globally.
As part of the announcement, three concept images have been released. The first of these shows what appears to be an entrance portal to a theme park land, flanked by a Creeper and Pig. A closer look into the area beyond the portal firstly reveals what appears to be a photo opportunity, featuring the main playable characters of Steve and Alex alongside a minecart – this sports a logo which reads ‘Minecraft Universe’, indicating the potential name of the area. Further along is then what looks to be a kiosk from which guests can acquire ‘Minecraft Minebands’ – with Merlin highlighting that the attractions will create new and exciting ways for guests to immerse themselves in the physical Minecraft world, including digitally enabled real-life experiences and the creation of touchpoints that will allow guests to unlock exclusive in-game content to continue their gaming journey, this could indicate that they will feature something similar to Super Nintendo World’s Power-Up Bands. The final, and perhaps most exciting feature of the concept image, is the inclusion of rollercoaster track, presumably belonging to the headline Minecraft-themed ride. With this track being purple in colour, this could suggest that the ride will transport guests into the Nether dimension for a thrilling adventure. A teaser video has also been released by Merlin, placing the viewer on a minecart rollercoaster which temporarily transforms into Hyperia at Thorpe Park before plummeting into a Nether portal – this could again offer some hints as to the planned ride experience.
The second concept image shows an interior area, seemingly themed to a cherry blossom grove, that features a Villager and a number of different creatures. This appears as though it could be some sort of retail space, with a counter pictured on the far side. The final concept image is for the Minecraft-themed accommodation, which signage refers to as ‘Minecraft Village’. The accommodation uses the same lodge design that Merlin have added to a number of their Resorts in recent years, such as the Enchanted Village at Alton Towers Resort and the Woodland Village at LEGOLAND Windsor Resort in the UK.
Merlin have noted that the collaboration with Mojang Studios, their first global partnership with a gaming brand, aligns with their strategy to engage and work with leading IP and brands across its estate, establishing successful partnerships to bring these to life in key locations across the world. Most recently this has been seen through Merlin’s collaboration with Sony Pictures to open Jumanji themed attractions at both Chessington World of Adventures Resort in 2023 and Gardaland Resort in 2022. Therefore, this suggests that Merlin will continue to seek out partnerships with further external IPs in order to bring these to life at their attractions.
Speaking about the announcement, Scott O’Neil, Chief Executive Officer of Merlin Entertainments, said:
“This is a significant milestone for Merlin, which reinforces our commitment to reaching new audiences through bold and captivating concepts, and directly supports our ambitions for growth.
“Minecraft is the best-selling video game of all time, and this world-first will see fans experience its thrill and creativity in real life, at theme parks and city-centre attractions in leading tourist destinations.
“This initial investment is just the beginning, replicating Merlin’s tried-and-tested approach to globally launching new concepts and platforms, as we have with LEGO, Peppa Pig, Sony Pictures, CBeebies and others.
This is an exciting opportunity for our Merlin Magic Making team, working collaboratively with Mojang Studios to bring cross-reality experiences, themed accommodation and other elements to life for the largest gaming community in the world.”
Kayleen Walters, Vice-President Franchise Development for Gaming at Microsoft, added that:
“Partnering with Merlin Entertainments is an incredibly exciting step for us at Mojang Studios. Merlin’s expertise in creating world-class attractions makes them the perfect partner to help us bring Minecraft to life in new and immersive ways in permanent locations around the globe.
“Our vast and diverse community is always looking for new opportunities to explore and engage with Minecraft, and we are thrilled to build touchpoints around the globe that will surprise and delight them.
“These new real-life Minecraft experiences will not only grow our community but also offer fans many more opportunities to immerse themselves in the world of Minecraft in ways they’ve never imagined.”
Scott and Kayleen spoke further about the partnership during a Fireside Chat session at IAAPA Expo 2024 in Orlando, with IAAPA also releasing an interview with Scott following this.
Whilst the specific locations of the first two attractions are yet to be confirmed, it seems likely that the initial UK attraction will open at Chessington World of Adventures following the recent unveiling of Project Refresh & Renew at a public consultation in September. This is supported by the concept image of the area entrance portal aligning with the plans released so far – these will see the existing Wild Asia area redeveloped, including the addition of a new rollercoaster with indoor and outdoor elements. The Resort appear to be progressing these proposals at pace, with a formal screening opinion request to confirm whether an Environmental Impact Assessment is required submitted by the Resort in October and currently pending a response from the local council. Nonetheless, a full planning application will need to be submitted following this, with several months of consultation and consideration then likely required before the council make a final decision. Therefore, a 2027 opening date seems more realistic for this project to allow for sufficient time for construction to take place.
Are you excited to see the world of Minecraft brought to life? What features do you hope to see included in the new attractions? Make sure you share your thoughts via our social media channels.
