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Fittingly for a world-building game, Minecraft has taken over the planet. There was last year’s gargantuan movie spin-off (the imaginatively titled A Minecraft Movie), while fans also eagerly tune in to the annual Minecraft Live online presentation for tantalising updates about the game that means so much to them. To date, it’s sold more than 300 million copies worldwide to become the best-selling videogame ever.
It was only a matter of time, then, before it received the theme park treatment. Announced at the aforementioned presentation, Minecraft World is due to open next year at Chessington World of Adventures.
Billed as ‘the world’s first Minecraft theme-park land’, the park will feature a new rollercoaster, merch and a themed dining spot. The site also promises ‘interactive adventures’ and ‘epic block built playscapes.’ It’s all part of a whopping £50m investment – the biggest of its kind at Chessington.
The theme park is being brought to life by Merlin Entertainments, the company that owns Alton Towers and the London Eye, so the Minecraft world certainly seems to be in good hands.
Merlin Entertainments’ SVP of global brand Angela Jobson said: ‘We’re absolutely thrilled to be bringing Minecraft’s creativity, bold adventures, and ridiculous fun to life at a theme park for the first time at Chessington World of Adventures.
‘Minecraft World will allow friends and families to play, explore and craft together on a truly epic scale. Working closely together with Mojang Studios we are meticulously creating an authentic world that the global community of Minecraft fans will want to immerse themselves in and experience the game in a whole new way.’
Minecraft’s senior creative director of entertainment Torfi Frans Ólafsson said: ‘Minecraft World represents a meaningful milestone in our ongoing journey to expand the Minecraft universe. We're thrilled to have partnered with Merlin Entertainments to realise a place where you can literally be in the Minecraft Overworld and have an adventure of your own with your family and friends.
‘The team at Merlin Entertainments and Mojang have worked hard to craft an experience that feels immersive, authentic and welcoming, and we can't wait for our community to experience it.’
As Jobson alluded to (and early the early renders included in this article suggest), Minecraft World isn’t intended to be a bog-standard theme park adaptation but a choose-your-adventure affair that reflects the game.
Microsoft Gaming’s head of Mojang Studios and franchise development Kayleen Walters told Variety: ‘When a player joins ‘Minecraft’ and plays, it’s their own completely new experience. They have the agency; they choose how to play. So every time you hit play, it’s a different experience for you, and that’s how we think about broadening beyond the game, too.’
Your first choice will be how to get to Chessington from London, though we’d recommend the train from Waterloo, which only takes about 30 minutes – but remember to look up from Minecraft and enjoy the view.
Did ever tell you about what was behind the success of A Minecraft Movie?
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