Back in 2015, Ubisoft made headlines when the French video game company announced a plan to open a Ubisoft theme park in Kuala Lumpur in 2020. Clearly (and unfortunately), those plans never panned out–though 2016 did see the company open a Rabbids Amusement Center in Montreal. This was too small a project to satisfy the massive ideas bouncing around the Ubisoft break room, however, and it looks like the dream will finally be coming true. Today, Ubisoft and Storyland Studios announced a partnership to open a line of Ubisoft Entertainment Centers, with the first opening in France in 2025. How many the company plans to open hasn’t been announced, but they’re clearly confident with their new plan of attack.
These Entertainment Centers haven’t been fully detailed, though it seems that they will offer immersive entertainment experiences in ‘fully interactive worlds’ based on popular Ubisoft titles. A full-scale theme park is also being planned, though any news regarding those plans is being kept secret until a later date. Hopefully, the aspirations stick this time, and it’s wise to keep more detailed information close to the chest until all plans are in motion.
The first Ubisoft Entertainment Center will open at Studios Occitanie Méditerranée sometime in 2025. Located about a 40-minute drive from the city of Montpellier in southeastern France, it will sit only about ten kilometers from the Mediterranean Sea and will include tons of dining, retail, and hospitality options, as well as a professional film studio. The founder of Studios Occitanie, Bruno Granja, provided a statement in regards to the forthcoming project. “Studios Occitanie is excited to become the first location for Ubisoft’s groundbreaking Entertainment Center concept. Gaming has grown to become the biggest form of entertainment. It makes sense that we partner with France’s leading game publisher to create a new kind of immersive experience that celebrates gaming culture,” he stated.