A Minecraft attraction is due to open at UK theme park Chessington World of Adventures next year, the game’s makers have announced.
Concept images of the £50 million Minecraft World project show plans for a rollercoaster, dining areas and interactive exhibits inspired by the video game.
Merlin Entertainments said it chose Chessington, about 30 minutes outside London, to cater to international and local visitors, however, the company did not give new details on a US version of Minecraft World previously announced as part of the deal.
Concept images of the attraction show areas modelled on the blocky landscapes and structures made famous by the video game.
They also show models of the various creatures that populate Minecraft’s world – known to fans as “mobs” – including pigs and enemy characters Creepers and zombies.
An interior sketch shows passengers riding along a track lined with TNT blocks – one of the game’s most recognisable materials.
First launched on PC in 2011, Minecraft has become one of the best-selling and most-played video games in the world, selling more than 300 million copies.
Its popularity on YouTube, which said videos related to the game have been viewed more than one trillion times, helped it to become a cultural phenomenon, inspiring merchandise and a box office-topping film last year.
Kayleen Walters, head of Mojang Studios, said the company had seen a growing appetite for Minecraft experiences from fans, and this led to the theme park collaboration.
“We know people want more of Minecraft. They want to be immersed in it in different ways,” she said.
She said the creative team were conscious of players’ high expectations and had built parts of the park in the game and workshopped designs with members of the Minecraft community.
They want visitors to feel like that have walked right into the game and for it to feel “authentic”, she said.
“You’re going to smell and taste and feel and touch and just be surrounded by all things Minecraft.”