“The lore you asked for,” McDonald’s brings back McDonaldland

Ever wanted a virtual milkshake and fries? Well, users can now experience McDonaldland in virtual reality.

McDonald’s, the world’s most popular fast food chain, is plunging deeper into virtual reality as it launches its new immersive experience, McDonaldland.

According to the Big Mac maker, it’s “the lore” fans have been asking for, as users can enter the world of McDonaldland in VR.

Users can meet “classic” characters like Grimace, the Hamburglar, Birdie, and more. Oddly enough, there’s no mention of the fast food chain’s mascot, Ronald McDonald.

For anyone who wants to experience McDonald’s lore in virtual reality, there are different activities, such as mini games, like “Mt. McDonaldland Shake Challenge” and “Golden Arches Obstacle Course.”

The games require users to climb aboard “The Captain’s” ship and collect ingredients for a McDonald’s shake that explodes from an erupting volcano. The origins and “lore” for this game are not exactly known, but it seems that pirate ships are present in McDonald’s canon.

The other game asks users to test their skills across rapids, “condiment geysers, and larger-than-life McDonald's landmarks in a fast-paced, multi-zone adventure.” The creators are truly leaving much to the imagination.

There are also themed zones like Filet of Fish Lake, Apple Pie Forest, and Hamburger Patch, which are filled with “interactive surprises.

According to McDonald's announcement, various collectible items, like wearables, are also hidden in the virtual space.

The experience is available to play on Meta Quest by putting on the Meta Quest headset and launching Horizon Worlds. Users can also play on Web VR and sign in with their Meta account.

While this all seems rather bizarre, there’s some history behind it, as Ashley Lewis, managing director, wrote in a LinkedIn post found by Retail Technology Innovation Hub.

McDonaldland was seemingly on a 20-year hiatus and is being brought back in VR, according to Lewis’s post.

The fictional fantasy land established in 1971 was a TV campaign where McDonald’s friendly and slightly creepy mascot frolicked with all of his friends.

McDonaldland brainwashed its target audience, children, from a young age, introducing them to products, according to Mental Floss.

But why bring McDonaldland to VR? Perhaps to help Mark Zuckerberg sell more headsets and for McDonald’s to sell more burgers.