‘Minecraft’ to come to life in Merlin theme park attractions

Unlock the Editor’s Digest for free

Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.

Minecraft will come to life as theme park rides and leisure attractions, as one of the world’s best-selling computer games teams up with Merlin Entertainments to attract fans in the US and UK.

Merlin, the owner of Legoland, Alton Towers and Thorpe Park, has agreed a deal with Mojang Studios, the creator behind the popular game under Microsoft, to invest more than £85mn in two Minecraft attractions in its existing parks in the US and the UK between 2026 and 2027. The attractions are expected to be rollercoasters, hotel rooms, retail outlets or restaurants.

UK-based leisure park operator Merlin will expand these experiences to other destinations globally in the long term under the licensing agreement, the companies said on Tuesday.

The deal follows Merlin’s success with Legoland, after it bought Lego’s four Legoland theme parks in 2005. Merlin is seeking growth in working with intellectual property brands to expand them in its estates.

Having since increased the number of Legoland parks to 10 with sites in Florida, Malaysia and Japan, the segment posted revenues of £914mn in 2023, accounting for more than 40 per cent of Merlin’s total revenue. The group plans to open a Legoland in Shanghai in 2025.

Merlin, which is owned by a consortium including Blackstone and an investment vehicle run by Lego’s founding family, opened Europe’s first standalone Peppa Pig theme park in Germany in May, with a planned opening in Texas.

In partnership with Sony Pictures Entertainment, it also brought to life a Jumanji-themed land at Chessington World of Adventures in the UK last year.

Minecraft, which was registered in the Guinness World Record in October 2023 as the best-selling video game of all time — excluding franchises such as Super Mario — with 300mn copies in sales, has gained popularity among children and young adults since it first became available in 2009. New players are dropped into a Lego-like blocky world of trees, lakes and verdant landscapes to build cities.

“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,” said Merlin’s chief executive Scott O’Neil, adding that the deal was a “significant milestone” for his company.

Kayleen Walters, vice-president franchise development for gaming at Microsoft, said the real-life Minecraft experiences would “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”.