Hytale, the much-anticipated sandbox RPG inspired by Minecraft, has found new life after its cancellation by Riot Games. The decision to halt development stemmed from the developers’ inability to bring the game to fruition in a manner that met its lofty expectations. Now, under the stewardship of Hypixel founder Simon Collins-Laflamme, the project is poised to return to its original vision, which had become obscured over a sprawling seven-year development cycle.
Reviving the Vision
In a recent post on X, Collins-Laflamme shared his commitment to making Hytale accessible, announcing a price point of , aimed at being “as aggressively low as possible.” He expressed a willingness to take on considerable personal risk after repurchasing the game, emphasizing his dedication to preparing it for early access with a newly expanded team of 50 talented individuals. “I said I was all in, and I am delivering on that promise,” he stated.
However, the journey ahead is not without its challenges. The new team effectively lost four years of development time, as they are working with an older build of the game. Yet, this reset presents an opportunity to rebuild goodwill with a community that has watched the project languish for nearly a decade. Collins-Laflamme noted, “Charging more didn’t feel right. I don’t think the game is good yet. My team and I will push hard to make it good, then great. The vision is clear and progress is fast.”
Just a day after reclaiming the old build from Riot, the team released 16 minutes of new footage. While some observers expressed concerns about the content being “raw and broken,” it nonetheless showcased promising elements for a game that had every reason to appear less than polished given its tumultuous development history.
For those looking to support the project further, special editions will be available, but the base price of remains competitive, comparable to other voxel-based games like Vintage Story that have recently captured attention. As for the timeline for early access, the development team has indicated that it is “coming in the next few days,” igniting hope among fans eager to see Hytale finally come to fruition.
As anticipation builds, many are simply relieved to witness the potential release of Hytale. The journey of voxel-based RPGs is often fraught with uncertainty, but this revival offers a glimmer of hope for a captivating concept that may yet find its place in the gaming landscape.
