Hytale once looked like the next big thing, a Minecraft-style sandbox adventure that stunned everyone with its first reveal. Millions watched the trailer, expectations soared, and the hype was enormous. But after Riot Games acquired Hypixel Studios, the dream slowly slipped into silence. Updates became rare, delays piled up, and earlier this year, rumors spread that the game had been quietly cancelled. Many fans assumed Hytale was gone for good.
That’s why today feels like a turning point. Hypixel has officially taken full control back from Riot, and development on Hytale is continuing under the people who originally built its vision. For Simon, this is personal: “It feels like bringing it home.”
The Current State of Hytale
Hytale’s development hasn’t exactly been smooth. The team spent years working with two different engines; a newer cross-platform solution and the original “Legacy Engine” shown back when the game first went viral. Now, they’re dropping the new tech entirely and doubling down on the Legacy version because it’s actually playable today and still feels like the true spirit of Hytale.
That does mean early access will be far from polished: There are already more than a hundred NPCs and thousands of items, but plenty of them are incomplete, the UI is still in progress, systems aren’t fully balanced, and bugs are going to be everywhere. Even official minigames, once a major selling point, won’t be ready at launch. Instead, the community will lead the charge early with custom servers, modes, and experimental experiences. Progress will be slow and steady, since the team intentionally remains small, and the goal is to grow the game over time rather than fake perfection on day one. In short: Hytale isn’t arriving as a finished blockbuster but it is finally arriving.
Modding Returns as a Core Priority
Modding is stepping back into the spotlight as a crucial part of Hytale’s future, with nearly every element of the game from content to servers, designed to be customizable. Players won’t need to be developers to build new experiences either; the tools are meant to be approachable, allowing anyone to experiment with custom worlds, maps, and even unique gameplay ideas right from the start.
Hypixel also plans to expand access over time, eventually opening parts of the source code once it’s legally safe to do so. The vision is straightforward: let the community create freely, and Hytale will continue to evolve, grow, and stay alive for years through the imagination of its players.
What Players Can Expect
Early access for Hytale isn’t being positioned as a polished release, it’s a hands-on partnership with the players. Hypixel wants the community in early, even while systems are unstable or unfinished, gathering real gameplay feedback and helping steer development in the right direction.
From day one, players are encouraged to experiment, build and share their own content as the world grows around them. It isn’t about judging the game by its earliest form, but believing in where it’s heading and actively shaping that evolution. The studio says this phase is about earning trust, not demanding it and while the path ahead may be messy and long, Hytale is finally moving forward again for the first time in years.
Stay tuned to VGNW and X, we’ll keep following Hytale’s comeback as it unfolds.
