Minecraft competitor Hytale will resume development after the original developers, Hypixel Studios, acquired the rights to the IP back from Riot Games. Development on the Minecraft-like game began back in 2015 with funding from Riot Games before it was fully acquired by the League of Legends developer in 2020. The studio had previously announced the game’s cancellation back in June 2025.
Hypixel Studio has its roots in Minecraft mini-games, hosting a popular server for custom Minecraft content for players to enjoy. Building off the success of the Hypixel Server, the developer sought to create an original sandbox IP to compete with Minecraft, utilizing many of the same types of user-created content and mods that allowed Hypixel itself to thrive. Hytale is set to be a procedurally generated sandbox game like Minecraft, with a heavy emphasis on mini-games as well as RPG combat mechanics and dungeon crawling.
Hytale Will Continue Development Independently, Early Access Release Date TBD
In a post on the official Hytale website, Hypixel co-founder Simon Collins-Laflamme made the exciting announcement that Hytale is back. After acquiring the rights from Riot Games, Collins-Laflamme confirmed that development on Hytale will continue with a personal 10-year funding commitment. Additionally, 30 developers have been rehired to the project to ensure work can continue from where it left off prior to Hytale‘s initial cancellation.
Although no firm release date has been shared, the post on Hytale‘s website notes that more details will be shared regarding this information in the coming days. Currently, Hytale is planning to release on Windows at launch, with Linux and Mac releases being attempted. There hasn’t been any word on a release for consoles, with other platforms listed as having a much later date.
Hytale has also clarified which features will be present at its early access launch, and which need more time before they can be made available. At launch, the game will include:
- Exploration Mode
- Creative Mode
- Modding
No specific roadmap has been shared yet, but other planned features coming to Hytale sometime after its early access launch include:
- Mini-Games
- Adventure Mode
While a big draw of the Hypixel Server and Hytale is the mini-games, Collins-Laflamme stresses that the infrastructure for these mini-games is far from ready. However, Hytale has a dedicated team for creating its mini-games, so players can expect to see them added over the course of the game’s life. Collins-Laflamme also issues a warning that Hytale may launch in an incomplete early access state, but hopes that players will embrace the game’s rough edges and provide useful feedback on its development so that the team can work to make its passion project the best it can be.
Released
November 18, 2011
ESRB
E10+ For Everyone 10+ Due To Fantasy Violence
