Alton Towers Resort have today announced that Nemesis Sub-Terra will reopen on Saturday 27th May after having remained closed since 2015.
The drop tower dark ride, located in the ‘Phalanx Research Facility’, is being reopened by The Phalanx, the organisation tasked with keeping the Nemesis beast under control. Civilians are set to journey deep beneath the Nemesis site to discover the secretive research of The Phalanx, where they will be shown exciting glimpses of a Nemesis egg. Although it is said to be controlled and contained, very little is known about the origins of the egg. However, it is reportedly showing life signs and a team of Phalanx operatives are investigating – can they keep control?
As part of the announcement, the Resort has revealed a new look logo for the attraction which is similar in appearance to the new Nemesis track – black with red veins snaking along its length. An updated visual for the attraction has also been released, which uses the same black and red colour scheme. Previously the logo featured the green eye of the Nemesis creature, with similar green and red tones then used in the visual. The new visual also sees the addition of Phalanx logos.
Nemesis Sub-Terra originally opened in March 2012, however the responses to the first iteration of the attraction were not favourable. Guests were left disappointed by the length of the experience and the scares provided. A few months into the 2012 season, the attraction was therefore closed for a short period to enable modifications to be made to the experience, which included the addition of an indoor scare maze type finale. Although feedback was subsequently more positive, the attraction only continued to operate until the middle of the 2015 season with it then having remained Standing But Not Operating (SBNO) ever since. The attraction’s building was utilised during Scarefest 2018 and 2019 for scare maze Project 42, providing a glimpse at some of Nemesis Sub-Terra’s original features, including the Nemesis egg.
Upon the Resort officially confirming that Nemesis would close at the end of the 2022 season to enable the planned track replacement works to be undertaken, rumours began circulating that Nemesis Sub-Terra could reopen during the 2023 season whilst the rollercoaster remained closed. With the Phalanx playing a key role in Nemesis’ temporary closure, it was thought that Nemesis Sub-Terra could reopen to support the story-telling around the work taking place to Nemesis. Speculation was fuelled by activity being observed around the attraction from the latter part of the 2022 season onwards.
Anticipation has continued to build since the start of the 2023 season, especially with the recent opening of the Nemesis Observation Platform overlooking the construction site, that is accessed from just next to the entrance to Nemesis Sub-Terra’s queue line. This was followed by email communications being sent out. The first was from a Phalanx insider who encouraged people to #SeekTheTruth, revealing that Nemesis had been put into a sedated state and that the Phalanx had discovered an egg that they would be looking to regenerate. An official message from the Phalanx followed, confirming the discovery of the egg and that action was being taken against the mysterious whistle-blower.
The details announced regarding Nemesis Sub-Terra’s reopening, including the confirmation that it will retain its 1.4m minimum height restriction, suggest that the fundamental experience will remain unchanged. This saw guests travel down in ‘lifts’ deep into the Earth’s core, before reaching an observation chamber where a Nemesis egg was on display. This was where the main ride experience took place, with guests discovering they were strapped into a drop tower upon plummeting down into a cavern containing a larger nest of eggs. With things spiralling out of control, the attraction would end with guests being rushed back up to the surface and needing to navigate their way out of the facility. Nonetheless, it seems likely that there may be some updates to the video and audio used in the attraction, in order to convey the latest happenings with the Nemesis investigation.
We are pleased to see the attraction return to the Resort’s theme park line-up, and hope to see it remain open even after Nemesis itself returns in 2024!
Are you excited to see Nemesis Sub-Terra reopen? Were you able to experience the attraction previously? Let us know via our social media channels.
