More than 15 years after its initial release, Minecraft continues to attract new audiences thanks to a steady stream of content. The game’s worldwide popularity has also allowed Mojang and Microsoft to expand the IP far beyond the initial game. That expansion will soon grow to encompass theme parks, which will be coming to the United States and the UK thanks to a collaboration with Merlin, the company responsible for Legoland. Visitors can expect to see Minecraft inspired rides, attractions, and even food and beverages when the parks open sometime between 2026 and 2027. In a press release, Merlin CEO Scott O’Neil talked about the collaboration with Mojang.
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“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,” said O’Neil. “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.”
In an interesting twist, the press release teases that Minecraft fans will have the opportunity “to unlock exclusive in-game content to continue their gaming journey.” Obviously it’s far too early to know what kind of content fans will be able to unlock in the game, but hopefully we’ll learn a lot more about those plans as the opening dates get closer. At the very least, the prospect of exclusive DLC should give Minecraft‘s most passionate fans even more of an incentive to visit the park.
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While Minecraft has been huge pretty much since the beginning, it feels like the franchise is suddenly seeing a lot bigger growth than at any point in its history. In 2025, A Minecraft Movie will be released in theaters, bringing the beloved game to the big screen. It remains to be seen how fans and casual audiences will react to the finished product, but given the size of the Minecraft fanbase, Warner Bros. could end up with a huge success on its hands, if the filmmakers stick the landing. Between the game itself, a metric ton of merchandise like books and comics, a movie, and now theme parks, it feels like the popularity of Minecraft will only continue to grow.
Are you excited about the prospect of Minecraft theme parks? Would the incentive of free in-game content get you to visit one of the parks? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp, on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!