Tourism New Zealand has partnered with Warner Bros. Pictures, Mojang Studios, and Piki Studios to release a new tourism-focussed Minecraft DLC designed to show off the beauty of the country’s natural landscapes. While the partnership may seem a bit odd at a glance, it’s worth nothing the upcoming movie adaptation, A Minecraft Movie, was filmed in New Zealand – so that’s where the synergy lies.
As announced, from 19 March, Minecraft players will be able to download and play a new, free “Aoeteroa New Zealand DLC” which features an array of activities and exploration opportunities. You can paddle a canoe (waka) through the Abel Tasman, or visit the Waitomo Caves to marvel at glow worms, and Rotorua, Kapiti Island, Tekapo, and Doubtful Sound also feature.
Within the DLC, players will also be able to explore Māori culture and traditions, discover regional wild life, and tune into the sounds of taonga pūoro, traditional Māori instruments.
“This is our chance to invite the world to play Aotearoa New Zealand and show just how much fun people can have here,” René de Monchy, Tourism New Zealand Chief Executive said in a press release. “We want to give people an immersive taste of what New Zealand has to offer.”
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As further noted by Torfi Frans Ólafsson, Senior Creative Director of Original Content & Entertainment at Minecraft and Producer of A Minecraft Movie, the collaboration is icing on the cake, after a successful shooting period for the film.
Ólafsson praised the crew and talent working behind the scenes on A Minecraft Movie in New Zealand, and described the newly-released DLC as a great representation of the region, and its featured landscapes.
“For those of us not local, whenever we were not holed up on the sound stages at the studio, we used every opportunity we could to explore the magnificent beauty of New Zealand,” Ólafsson said. “We did countless day trips around Auckland, and many went on deeper excursions on the South Island.”
“There is so much to experience here that you can’t do anywhere else in this world. We’re excited to give Minecraft players a glimpse of it in the upcoming Aotearoa New Zealand DLC.”
Those keen to dive in for themselves will find the Aotearoa New Zealand DLC available on the Minecraft Marketplace.
