Minecraft in Real Life: Merlin Entertainments & Mojang Studios Join Forces
Image: Courtesy of Merlin and TM & © Mojang AB
(eap) The British operator group Merlin Entertainments recently announced “Adventures Made Real”. This represents a new global strategic partnership with Microsoft-owned Mojang Studios – a development studio for computer games and creator of the globally popular game “Minecraft”. The aim of the partnership is to create permanent immersive Minecraft attractions.
The adventures from Minecraft are to be brought to life through immersive and interactive entertainment attractions at fixed locations worldwide and offer new ways to immerse yourself in the game world. Touchpoints will also be created to allow guests to unlock exclusive in-game content.
Merlin will invest around USD 110 million for the first two attraction locations in existing Merlin locations in the USA and the UK. The opening of the new attractions is planned for 2026 and 2027 and will include appropriately themed accommodation, retail and F&B as well as a Minecraft ride. In the long term, Merlin plans to expand globally to other destinations.
The collaboration with Mojang Studios is in line with the Group’s strategy of working with leading IPs and brands and represents Merlin’s first partnership with a gaming brand.
“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,” explains Scott O’Neil, current CEO of Merlin Entertainments, who yesterday announced he will be leaving the company end of this year (see EAP-News f. 27th Nov 2024). ■
