New Zealand partners with Warner Bros to showcase Māori culture to tourists through Minecraft

Tourism New Zealand has partnered with Warner Bros., Mojang Studios, and Māori game developers to launch a Minecraft campaign promoting Māori culture and tourism. The campaign features a free downloadable content (DLC) showcasing six iconic New Zealand locations within the Minecraft world, aiming to inspire real-world travel and potentially boost visitor spending by $50 million.

The campaign launched on March 24, 2025, and coincides with the release of ‘A Minecraft Movie’ in April.

René de Monchy, chief executive of Tourism New Zealand, emphasized the innovative blend of gaming, culture, and tourism in the campaign. “This is something you haven’t seen from Tourism New Zealand before.”


The campaign targets Minecraft's large global audience, particularly the 70 million players in key tourism markets already considering a visit to New Zealand, 85% of whom are interested in experiencing Aotearoa through the game.

“By blending gaming, culture, and tourism, we’re offering millions of Minecraft fans the unique opportunity to virtually explore our country and then bring those adventures to life by visiting Aotearoa,” stated Monchy.

The ‘Aotearoa New Zealand DLC’ features Waitomo Caves, Te Puia, the New Zealand Māori Arts and Crafts Institute in Rotorua, Kāpiti Island, Abel Tasman, Tekapō/Takapo, and Patea/Doubtful Sound. Players can participate in activities mirroring real-life experiences, such as paddling a waka or stargazing. The game also integrates the Tiaki – Care for New Zealand initiative, promoting responsible travel.

Whetu Paitai, chief business operator of Piki Studios, the Māori game design studio responsible for the DLC's development, highlighted the importance of accurately representing the "rich Whāraki – interconnected tapestry of stories, traditions, and cultural heritage" of the land and people. Piki Studios, an official Minecraft partner, collaborated with Tourism New Zealand, the tourism industry, and local Māori communities to develop the DLC.

“Ensuring the rich Whāraki – interconnected tapestry of stories, traditions, and cultural heritage – of our land and people was accurately represented was both a challenge and a privilege.”

The game begins with a traditional Māori welcome onto a marae. The central hub is a wharenui designed, named, and gifted by the New Zealand Māori Arts and Crafts Institute at Te Puia, representing a significant integration of Te Ao Māori (the Māori worldview) into a computer game.

“Māori game development is growing, but our whanau (people) have to see models of that happening in front of them, and this is what projects like this achieve.”

The campaign aligns with Tourism New Zealand’s four-year strategy of showcasing New Zealand as a year-round destination. It also supports the New Zealand Screen Production Rebate, which attracted Warner Bros. to film the ‘A Minecraft Movie’ in New Zealand. In-market activations will accompany the film's release.

“What we love about working with Tourism New Zealand is the sheer ambition of their team. They’ve managed to turn the world’s most popular video game into a call-to-action for prospective visitors: play our enchanting digital world before coming to play for real.”

Kelly Grindle, managing director of Special PR, which worked on the campaign, praised Tourism New Zealand's ambition. The campaign follows Tourism NZ's 'If You Seek Stories' platform, promoting travel to New Zealand among Australians.