Minecraft goes beyond the screen: Merlin Entertainments announced new attractions
By ForGeeks Merlin Entertainments, the company behind such famous parks as Legoland, Alton Towers and Peppa Pig World, has acquired global rights to create themed rides based on the game Minecraft.
First Projects
- First rides will appear in:
- Britain – in 2026.
- United States – in 2027.
- These projects will not be stand-alone parks but themed areas in existing Merlin locations.
Comments from Microsoft
Kailyn Walters, vice president of franchise development at Microsoft, noted:
“We are present everywhere in the digital world, Merlin is physical. It’s about extending Minecraft beyond the game. Mojang and Microsoft know everything about Minecraft and the brand, and Merlin are experts at creating localized attractions.”
Global Plans
After opening zones in the UK and US, the collaboration is planned to expand to other countries, although specific locations have not yet been announced.
Why Minecraft?
Merlin’s CEO, Scott O’Neil, explained the choice of Minecraft:
Scott O’Neil.
“We choose partners that have scale and audience. Minecraft is the largest video game brand. Bringing Minecraft to the real world is a huge thrill, and we’re just getting started. Our ambitions are very big.”
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Analogies with other brands
- The Minecraft projects are not the first time Merlin has worked with major brands:
- Lego: Legoland was a hit among families.
- Peppa Pig: a whole world has been created for kids.
- Sonic: previously themed areas based on Sonic at Alton Towers.
- The video game industry is actively entering the world of attractions:
- Nintendo has already opened Super Nintendo World in Japan and the United States.
Closure
The Minecraft theme, with its recognizable design, scale and creativity, is perfectly suited to be brought to reality. These attractions will be part of Merlin’s global strategy and will open a new page in the history of interaction between games and real-world entertainment.
