Warcraft, StarCraft theme park real?

By Robert Purchese Published 8 February, 2011

A replica Naxxramas?!

A Chinese theme park featuring lavish Warcraft and StarCraft themed areas may be in development.

Dubbed Joyland, the theme park opens in May, according to the official website.

But there are no pictures of construction, only concept art - shouldn't a project on that scale, four months from completion, be a lot better documented? Some of the illustrated architecture appears to be of bamboozling complexity and ambition. Floating World of Warcraft dungeon Naxxramas is depicted in one shot - a castle atop an inverse pyramid, it's point secured by four great chains on each corner of the floating island.

Why wouldn't Blizzard have mentioned such a project? Presumably licensing talks were held.

Look more closely, and it's not at all clear whether Joyland actually exists in the real world - is this a giant virtual theme park? Sketchy translations of the Chinese website don't help.

Nevertheless, the areas mentioned for Joyland on the website are "Hero Gate", "Taobao Avenue," "Mysterious Island", "Moore Park", "Legend of the world", "Star Legend", "the mainland of Warcraft", "play family fun in Hong Kong" and "Temple Mount".

French website Gameblog (via G4TV) translated those areas as Terrain of Warcraft, Universe of StarCraft, Island of Mystery, World of Legend (a Chinese MMO) and Molesworld.

Joyland also plans to house a giant e-sports centre that aims to become a trade expo destination.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds. @Clert on Twitter.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (19) Latest comment 1 year ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • hiddenranbir #1 1 year ago

    Where all the screams of excitement won't be from adorable little children but from adults! I want to hug...wow I've totally blanked on 'craft' character names except kerrigan.

  • Antaios #2 1 year ago

    Highly doubtful this is real. I'm calling fake. Some great looking concept art though.

  • Embar #3 1 year ago

    Are the translations only "sketchy" because you refuse to do any journalism?

  • levitate #4 1 year ago

    I'd like a Whack-a-Kotick-game.

  • geeza2020 #5 1 year ago

    This place is gonna suck donkey balls if its meant to be open in the next four months and they only have concept art out.

  • Eraysor #6 1 year ago

    Is that Yogg-Saron?! Admittedly looking a little different, but would be cool if it was :D

  • SClaw #7 1 year ago

    Theme parks were a big investment opportunity across developed Asia during the 90s, a trend that died out when people realised you actually needed visitors to make money.

    However, before the bubble burst they were building these places with insane speed – I can believe they’d be able to get a pretty damn good park build in just a few months.

    Sadly, most of them are left to rot after a brief period of use. Japan is notorious for its semi-abandoned theme parks all over the place. Some are absolutely spectacular. There are less in China but there are some – I’ve been to (as in near, it was closed) the weird looking Elephant Park near the Great Wall for example. It’s literally in the middle of nowhere… but it looks like it might have been pretty damn good if it ever opened (I believe it never did).

    On the other hand, China is really great at making showy stuff work fast. Take a look at the Shanghai Expo if you need proof of that. If they want to make something cool they can.

    As for the WoW and Starcraft relation… I suspect they are vague rip-offs rather than direct licensed things. China is good at that too.

  • nooneyouknow #8 1 year ago

    Terrain of Warcraft? Can we chalk that one up to sketchy translations?

  • DrStrangelove #9 1 year ago

    Monoraaaaail, Monoraaaaail, Monoraaaaaaaail! *sings*

  • levitate #10 1 year ago

    @nooneyouknow:
    No, it's Gamelofts next MMO.

  • OnlyMe #11 1 year ago

    But surely, the WoW players would rather stay at home playing WoW? Don't they get burned to ashes by sunlight?

  • Dolly #12 1 year ago

    I reckon this will be a fakey park with the WOW theming poorly implemented without consent.

    Anyone ever seen the fake Disneyland they have over there? Google it for lols.

  • SAMagic #13 1 year ago

    If I had eleven billionty dollars, you can bet your arse I'd build a giant goddamn floating necropolis for parties.

  • nooneyouknow #14 1 year ago

    thousands of cosplayers are preping their CVs to be hired as Kel'Thuzad

  • Amgzone #15 1 year ago

    I can't really see this being true, would take way to much work but if it is true ...im there cus it looks awesome!

  • cw- #16 1 year ago

    I can't really see this being true, would take way to much work

    Because theme parks are generally easy and take no effort to work..?

  • NimbusTLD #17 1 year ago

    I thought World of Warcraft WAS a theme park...

  • drhickman1983 #18 1 year ago

    A Naxx theme park would be cool. Ride the four horseman merry-go-round, pat Gluth in the petting zoo and relax at Heigans bar and dancefloor.

  • mushroomyakuza #19 1 year ago

    This can't be real...right? It's either the best thing ever or just appalling.