The Merlin Entertainments group, owner of numerous amusement parks around the world, has signed a partnership with the publisher of the famous video game.
Minecraft puts a foot in the real world. Mojang studio, creator of the world’s best-selling video game, has entered into a “strategic global partnership” with Merlin Entertainments. The British entertainment company, which manages numerous theme parks around the world, announced this Tuesday, November 19 that it would develop attractions using the Minecraft franchise, the first of which will be located in the United States and the United Kingdom.
“This collaboration will bring Minecraft adventures to life in the real world through immersive and interactive entertainment attractions”detailed Merlin Entertainments. The first two attractions will open “between 2026 and 2027” in sites already managed by Merlin, thanks to an investment of 85 million pounds (nearly 102 million euros) from the group. They will be accompanied by accommodation, shops and places to eat on the theme of video games. In the longer term, the group plans to install other attractions elsewhere in the world.
Best-selling video game in history
Merlin notably manages the Legoland franchise parks, several of the most visited parks in the United Kingdom (Alton Towers, Thorpe Park, etc.), the London Eye in London, the Madame Tussauds wax museums and the Sea Life aquariums. This is the first partnership concluded by Merlin with a video game player.
Merlin was bought in 2019 by a consortium including the Kristiansen family, which controls the Lego group. Minecraft, which celebrated its 15th anniversary last May, was born from the imagination of Swede Markus “Notch” Persson. With more than 300 million copies sold by the end of 2023, it remains the best-selling video game in history.
