“We did it. Hytale is saved. We have acquired Hytale from Riot Games,” announced Simon Collins-Laflamme on X, marking a significant turning point in the saga of the much-anticipated game. This acquisition returns the rights to Hytale to its original creators, Hypixel Studios, in what can be described as one of the most remarkable comebacks in the gaming industry. The official Hytale blog echoed this sentiment, revealing that the team has successfully repurchased the project, reinstated over 30 developers, and pledged to independently fund the game for at least the next decade.
For years, Hytale existed as the tantalizing “what if” of the sandbox gaming landscape. Emerging from the vibrant Hypixel community, it aimed to elevate the Minecraft formula to new heights. Its announcement trailer, released in 2018, garnered over 30 million views, establishing Hytale as a formidable contender in its genre, even before a release date was set.
However, the dream appeared to fade on June 23, 2025, when Riot Games, which had owned Hypixel Studios since 2020, announced the studio’s closure and the cancellation of Hytale. The company cited the project’s escalating complexity, with engine modifications and ambitious technical goals obstructing a clear path to launch.
In the wake of this announcement, Collins-Laflamme expressed his determination to reclaim Hytale, offering to invest up to million of his own funds to buy back the game from Riot and complete it with a more pragmatic approach.
A new beginning, looking back to the origins
In their statement, the team highlighted the rarity of such transactions in the gaming industry, emphasizing that this revival is not merely about resuscitating a canceled project. It involves a complete repurchase of intellectual property, achieved without external investors or traditional publishers. Hytale will be financed through the creators’ own resources, adopting a strategy that prioritizes a modest team size and realistic technological aspirations.
The plan is to revert to the “legacy” engine used in Hytale’s earlier iterations, moving away from the pursuit of a large multi-platform framework. The focus will be on delivering a playable game on PC from the outset. The official roadmap indicates that early access will be available on Windows, with attempts for Linux and Mac to follow later, while console and mobile versions are earmarked for the distant future.
This early access will be presented candidly, with the team cautioning players that they may encounter bugs, unbalanced systems, and raw content. The intention is to iterate swiftly in collaboration with the community. The immediate focus will be on refining the living world, sandbox elements, and modding tools, while the minigames and Adventure mode envisioned in the original project will be addressed at a later stage.
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