Riot Games Archives

AppWizard

January 31, 2026

After joking about buying Amazon MMO New World, Rust boss says to “keep hope” as he signs NDA with an “unnamed company”

Alistair McFarlane, head of Facepunch Studios, has expressed interest in reviving the canceled Amazon MMO, New World, and has made a light-hearted offer for its rights. He is entering a non-disclosure agreement with an unnamed company, urging fans to keep "low expectations." McFarlane engaged with the New World community by jokingly tagging Amazon Games and discussing the planned shutdown of the New World: Aeternum servers in January 2027. He believes in empowering the community through public server hosting if a deal occurs. McFarlane has acknowledged the game's rough start and lack of long-term support but sees potential for its revival. Facepunch Studios prioritizes community engagement, as demonstrated by the ongoing success of their game Rust. The identity of the unnamed company remains undisclosed, but speculation points to Amazon Games. McFarlane emphasizes that discussions are confidential and that there are no confirmed deals or announcements at this time.

AppWizard

January 21, 2026

Hytale and Minecraft Get Crossplay Capability Thanks to Intrepid Modder

The newly-released sandbox adventure game Hytale originated from a Minecraft mod called Hypixel. A modder known as u/ssquadteam (iamcxv7) has developed a method for crossplay between Minecraft and Hytale, allowing players to build, chat, and engage in combat together. This innovation involves running a Minecraft server within the Hytale JVM, using Hytale's coordinate system to reconstruct the game world. The mod is currently unstable and not publicly available, with ongoing development needed for certain features. Hytale's co-founder, Simon Collins-Laflamme, noted that the game has generated enough revenue to fund the next two years of development.

AppWizard

January 19, 2026

Hytale Is Becoming What Minecraft Used to Be

Hytale has been released after a tumultuous development journey that included its acquisition by Riot Games and a subsequent cancellation. The game, initially seen as a competitor to Minecraft, is still a work in progress but has foundational elements of a great gaming experience. The developers aimed to create a standalone game for greater creative freedom, and despite initial disinterest, the author chose to support Hytale after its revival. The game offers a crafting-focused RPG adventure, contrasting with the monetization strategies of Minecraft under Microsoft. While there are issues with the current build, the author remains excited about Hytale's potential for future updates and content.

AppWizard

January 18, 2026

Minecraft-like Hytale got a huge dinosaur update just a few days after release

Hytale has launched as a playable title with positive early reception and has generated enough revenue to support two additional years of development. The game received praise for its engaging gameplay, and a significant update was released just four days post-launch, which included the addition of dinosaurs. The Hytale Team has been transparent about the game's lore and design, sharing information on their official website. The project saw rapid progress after Simon Collins-Laflamme took over following its cancellation by Riot Games, with gameplay footage released shortly after the acquisition. Hytale is currently available for purchase in early access on the developer's website, although it has not yet launched on Steam.

AppWizard

January 17, 2026

Hytale comes full circle as modder transforms it back into Minecraft, right down to The End

Dedicated fans of Minecraft are integrating elements from the game into Hytale, which has been anticipated for seven years. French YouTuber 'LAirHisson' announced the creation of "the end in Hytale," incorporating Minecraft's final boss area, The End, into Hytale. His video features a character resembling Minecraft's Steve using a modded Eye of Ender, leading to a challenge biome similar to Minecraft's Ender Dragon domain. LAirHisson engages in combat with Endermen and attempts to fight the Ender Dragon, showcasing Hytale's modding capabilities. Simon Collins-Laflamme from the Hytale community praised LAirHisson's work. Hytale has released its first significant content update, adding dinosaurs and improved melee combat. The game is available for .99, with premium tiers offering exclusive in-game accessories.

AppWizard

January 16, 2026

Riot moves to stamp out League of Legends duo queue abuse as “a few bad actors ruin things for everyone”

Riot Games has introduced new duo queue restrictions in League of Legends, disallowing duo play up to Grandmaster rank, even for players with Grandmaster MMR. The company has increased the duo penalty to reflect the advantages of playing in pairs. The current season has seen an increase in exploitative behavior, prompting these changes. Riot plans to implement an indicator to show when a player's actual MMR exceeds their displayed rank. Additionally, there is a delay in improvements to the autofill matching system, which aims to reduce mismatched roles for players.

AppWizard

January 16, 2026

Minecraft inspired Hytale starts 2026 with a comeback story, becoming the most popular game on Twitch hours after entering Early Access

Hytale was developed by Hypixel Studios, established in 2018 as a spinoff of the Hypixel server. The game features procedurally generated biomes with unique quests and monsters. In 2020, Hypixel Studios partnered with Riot Games, which later acquired the studio. However, in July 2025, Riot Games announced the cancellation of Hytale due to escalating costs. In November 2025, Hypixel Studios regained the rights to the game. Hytale entered Early Access on January 13, 2026, with pre-purchases ensuring development funding for at least two years. Upon release, it peaked at over 420,000 viewers on Twitch, although viewership dropped to just under 100,000 by January 14.

AppWizard

January 16, 2026

Hytale Feels Like Little More Than A Neat Minecraft Texture Pack

Hytale is an early access game that has been in development for a decade, facing a cancellation by Riot Games before its revival in November. The game features mechanics such as jumping two blocks high and a combat system that requires timing for attacks, which are similar to potential mods in Minecraft. Hytale includes familiar mobs like skeletons, spiders, zombies, and golems, alongside new creatures like goblins and Kweebecs, and a mysterious area known as the Void. Crafting in Hytale is more complex than in Minecraft, requiring multiple workstations, and workbenches can recognize adjacent chest contents. Despite its unique elements, Hytale often feels derivative of Minecraft, with similar sounds and inventory mechanics. Future updates, including an anticipated Adventure Mode, aim to introduce RPG-like storylines and quests. The game currently faces balancing issues but remains visually appealing, though it has not surpassed Minecraft's foundational elements.

AppWizard

January 16, 2026

Riot Games Launches League of Legends 2026 Season 1 PC Café Event With Free Rewards, Skins and Esports Prizes

Riot Games has launched its first PC café promotion of 2026, coinciding with the Season 1 update for League of Legends. The promotion, running until January 21, offers in-game rewards, trial cosmetics, and sweepstakes for players at participating PC cafés. Players can earn tiered rewards based on playtime, with those logging 20 hours receiving up to 15 Hextech Chest and Key sets. Participants are also entered into prize drawings for tickets to major esports events. A separate reward track is available for ranked victories, offering randomized rewards. Additionally, players will have temporary access to 15 champion skins from the Demacia region until January 30.

AppWizard

January 15, 2026

What is ‘Hytale’? The new viral ‘Minecraft clone’ explained

“Hytale” is an open-world sandbox game that allows players to collect resources, craft, and build unique worlds. It was developed by Hypixel Studios, which previously worked on a popular “Minecraft” server. Development began in 2015 and faced setbacks, including a cancellation in mid-2025, but resumed in November after the rights were acquired by Hypixel founder Simon Collins-Laflamme. The game is currently in early access and is fully playable, though still under development. “Hytale” is available exclusively on PC for Windows, macOS, and Linux, and can be accessed through the official website, not on Steam. The standard edition is priced at .99, with additional tiers available for .49 and .99. Early indications suggest significant popularity, with pre-purchase sales generating enough revenue for at least two years of development and over 400,000 viewers watching gameplay on Twitch on its release day.