Reviving a Legacy: Hytale’s Journey Back to Development
The saga of Hytale, a Minecraft-inspired MMO, began in 2015 when it embarked on its development journey, with Riot Games stepping in as one of its early angel investors. This partnership eventually culminated in Riot acquiring Hypixel Studios, the creative force behind Hytale. However, the game faced an untimely demise under Riot’s stewardship, leading to its cancellation in June 2025 and the disbandment of Hypixel Studios. Yet, in a surprising turn of events, Simon Collins-Laflamme, the game’s original creator, recently announced that he has successfully repurchased the rights from Riot and is ready to reignite development.
In a recent blog post on the official Hytale website, Collins-Laflamme revealed plans to announce an early access release date “soon.” The anticipated launch is now set for January 13, 2026, marking a significant milestone for the project.
“Two weeks ago, we, the original founders, repurchased Hytale, months after it was cancelled,” the post stated. “We revived the project, and we are returning to a four-year-old legacy build that had been abandoned. We are personally committing funding for many years to come.”
The team has made considerable strides since the cancellation, having rehired over 40 former and new team members, bringing the total workforce to 50. Collins-Laflamme emphasized the rarity of reacquiring a game from a AAA studio and preparing for an early access launch in such a short time frame, assuring players that they will be able to witness the development process unfold in real-time.
In a candid acknowledgment of the game’s current state, Collins-Laflamme advised potential players to manage their expectations. He stated, “If you don’t feel comfortable pre-ordering, please don’t. This is true early access, meaning it’s still very much unfinished and will be buggy for a while, but you have my and the team’s commitment to make Hytale the game we’ve always wanted it to be. The first impression will be rough, but the path ahead matters more.”
While this approach may not align with traditional marketing strategies, it underscores the team’s dedication to realizing their vision for Hytale. A crucial aspect of this revival has involved stepping back from the newer engine they had been utilizing, opting instead to return to the original version of the game.
“This required picking, choosing, and merging more than 300 GitHub branches into a single working branch. It was a significant engineering effort, but we’re now confident enough to launch early access,” Collins-Laflamme explained. “Hytale and Hypixel Studios are independent again, and we are returning to the original vision from the 2018 trailer.”
He further noted, “Because we went back to an older game build that was now meant for prototypes, some parts of the game will feel behind, but momentum is strong, and we’re working fast to make this into the game we all dreamed of.”
