Credit: Universal City Studios LLC and Amblin Entertainment / Saber InteractiveJurassic World 4 (2025) is just the beginning of a new era for the franchise (which makes sense considering there are four sequels now in development).
Since Jurassic World (2015) breathed new life into the long-running franchise following a 14-year hiatus (2001’s Jurassic Park III almost rendered it extinct), countless forms of tie-in media have flourished in the same way the dinosaurs do all around the world after being released into the wild at the end of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018).
Animated television shows, toy lines, theme park rides — you name it, Universal has slapped Jurassic Park and Jurassic World on everything from candy bars to plastic lunchboxes, and now they’re selling it, they’re selling it! The video game side of things is also very fruitful — in fact, Frontier Developments has just announced “Jurassic World Evolution 3” (TBA).
Related: ‘Jurassic Park: Survival’ Trailer Breakdown
But what is this franchise’s obsession with park management simulation games? The first “Jurassic World Evolution” (2018) isn’t even the first of its kind– the franchise has always been overly keen on theme park-builders.
Of course, there have been other types of “Jurassic Park” video games over the decades, from side-scrollers to beat-em-ups and more. However, we’re yet to get that one game that immerses us into the world from the original 1993 film.
That almost happened last year with a project titled “Jurassic Park: Operations” (check out the original trailer here). Though fan-made, the trailer left fans picking their jaws up off the floor. A first-person thriller set in the jungles and facilities of a fully-rendered Isla Nublar teeming with dinosaurs had all the right ingredients for a perfect game.
Related: ‘Jurassic World 4’ Everything We Know: Plot, Cast, Release Date, Trailer, and News
Unfortunately, while the unofficial game was shaping up to be one of the best in the franchise, last year, Universal Pictures ordered the developer Krenautican to remove all Jurassic Park branding, meaning everything from the iconic gates to the title itself had to go.
The cease and desist came as a result of Universal Pictures simply owning all the rights to the Jurassic IP, as well as the fact that an official video game is in development. In fact, “Jurassic Park: Survival” (TBA) looks exactly like “Jurassic Park: Operations” in that it’s first-person and takes place on “a fully realized Isla Nublar” (per the official site).
Check out the trailer below, per Jurassic World YouTube:
Related: Universal Studios’ Jurassic Park Attractions May Be Doomed, New Report Suggests
“Survival” pits stranded InGen scientist Dr. Maya Joshi against Isla Nublar’s dinosaurs just 24 hours after the events of the 1993 film from director Steven Spielberg. While it’s unclear whether the game is open world like “Cretaceous Kingdom,” they look very similar (and equally brilliant).
A few months ago, Krenautican shared the below video explaining what the rebranding means for the project while also putting forward a potential new title, “Cretaceous Kingdom”:
Related: ‘Jurassic Park’ Official Sequel: Everything We Know
Now, they’ve confirmed this is the new title, meaning the project is officially no longer associated with Jurassic in any way — except for the dinosaurs and the jungle island, and the fact it’s one gigantic love letter to the 1993 film, of course.
Check out Krenautican’s tweet below:
“Our #JurassicPark fan game got a cease and desist from Universal, so… Welcome to Cretaceous Kingdom!”
Our #JurassicPark fan game got a cease and desist from Universal, so…
Welcome to Cretaceous Kingdom! pic.twitter.com/9usR9hKfON
— Krenautican (@Krenautican) May 10, 2024
Related: Every Upcoming ‘Jurassic Park’ Installment Confirmed
While it remains to be seen just how different “Cretaceous Kingdom” will be from its former self, Krenautican has shared a new clip from the game under its new banner on X (formerly Twitter). And it looks pretty incredible:
“New gameplay from my Jurassic Park-inspired fan game. #MadeInDreams #JurassicPark #JurassicWorld“
New gameplay from my Jurassic Park-inspired fan game.#MadeInDreams #JurassicPark #JurassicWorld pic.twitter.com/FPOxPlOPhn
— Krenautican (@Krenautican) May 10, 2024
Related: ‘Jurassic World’ Sequel Trailer Breakdown
They’ve also shared a new full-length video to bring you up to speed on the timeline of events over the past year since Universal’s cease and desist and their journey in rebranding the game from “Jurassic Park: Operations” to “Cretaceous Kingdom”, along with even more footage:
Related: Upcoming ‘Jurassic Park’ Sequel Confirms Several Dinosaurs
This rebranding might be disappointing for many (and, of course, for the creator), but “Cretaceous Kingdom” is shaping up to be an absolute beast in its own right. Which will be better? “Jurassic Park: Survival” or the fan-made game? Who cares — we’re getting two “Jurassic” video games and they both look like they’ve been spared no expense!
Check out Krenautican’s YouTube channel for more updates. You can also support “Cretaceous Kingdom” via their Patreon.
There’s plenty more official Jurassic content to look forward to. While “Survival” and “Jurassic World Evolution 3” have no release dates, the new animated television series Jurassic World: Chaos Theory (2024) will premiere on Netflix on May 24, and Jurassic World 4 (2025) will be released in theaters on July 2, 2025.
Which game are you most excited about: “Cretaceous Kingdom” or “Jurassic Park: Survival”? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!