Minecraft has partnered with BBC Earth to release a new world inspired by the BBC series Planet Earth 3.
According to a press release, the new map will allow players to step into “extraordinary realms of the natural world to experience the struggles and triumphs of survival”. The collaboration also allows players to play as, among others, a great white shark and an Arctic wolf.
This will shed light on the “precarious balance of survival” by allowing players to be both predator and prey, discovering what it’s like to survive in the wild while also constantly being hunted by animals that want to eat you.
Players spawn at the BBC Planet Earth 3 Field Station before choosing which biome they would like to learn more about and taking part in activities tailored to the wildlife living in that biome and the biome chosen.
“We are delighted to partner with Minecraft Education and that children will have the opportunity to interact with stories inspired by the Planet Earth 3 series through immersive gameplay,” Planet Earth 3 producer Matt Brandon said in a statement.
Justin Edwards, Minecraft Education‘s director of learning experiences, also spoke about the new map, stating:
“Minecraft Education is delighted to extend our partnership with BBC Earth, building on our work in Frozen Planet 2. The new experience of the natural world in Planet Earth 3 brings us closer to the animals and their surrounding environment. In this world, you will learn about animals from different continents, across sea, sky, and land, and how they survive and thrive.”
The collaboration between Planet Earth 3 and Minecraft will be released today (January 16) and is available in 29 different languages.
In other gaming news, an Overwatch 2 developer has admitted that it was a “mistake” to announce a contentious self-healing update.