Hytale has entered a new era as Hypixel Studios has fully reacquired the game from Riot Games, reviving a project that only months ago appeared to be shut down. The move marks one of the rarest events in modern game development: a major publisher returning an entire IP to its original creators.
Hypixel’s founders have stepped back into the center of the project after years away, securing complete ownership of Hytale and immediately rebuilding the team that once defined its early identity. More than 30 former developers have already been rehired, according to the game’s blog.
“Huge thanks to Riot for working with me to make this happen. They wanted what’s best for players, and that’s for us to eventually play the game,” said Simon Collins-Laflamme, Hypixel co-founder on X. The studio is now operating fully independently, fueled by a long-term personal funding commitment of at least 10 years intended to sustain development costs and deliver on the promise made to the fans.
How Hypixel reacquired Hytale from Riot
The unexpected turnaround began after the June 2025 announcement that Hytale development was ending and Hypixel would wind down operations. The community’s response was immediate and overwhelming, prompting the founders, who had not been involved since 2020, to act.
Without reviewing the full state of the code or project, they made a proposal to Riot, accepted the risks, and ultimately secured Hytale’s return. That decision immediately triggered a rapid rebuilding effort: renegotiating ownership, raising funding, rehiring staff, and charting a new development plan based on the state of the engines and assets they inherited.
After evaluating the state of the project, Hypixel chose to restart its development using the legacy engine, the same one showcased in the game’s original trailer. While this version is older, it is playable as soon as possible and further along in gameplay compared to the ambitious but incomplete cross-platform engine started during Riot’s stewardship.
By shifting back to the familiar foundation, the developers say they can deliver a functional early access version far sooner and focus on building a game rather than spending years rebuilding technology. The renewed direction aims to restore what fans connected with early on: a sandbox-focused experience with exploration, modding, and creative tools.
Minigames and Adventure Mode will not be part of the earliest versions and will arrive later once core systems stabilize. Hypixel emphasized that early access will be a true work-in-progress with bugs, unbalanced systems, and frequent updates that may disrupt saves or features. The studio plans a multi-year early access period, avoiding fixed promises and focusing on agility as community feedback shapes the game’s ongoing direction.
Modding, which was once a defining feature of Hytale’s early vision, is returning to the forefront. The team intends to ship early access with deep modding capabilities, including server support, flexible content creation, and eventually, server source code access once legal preparation is complete. The developers describe modding not as a feature but as essential for long-term viability, hoping to empower creators to build everything from custom adventures to entirely new experiences.
Hypixel’s leadership opted against scaling into a large studio, choosing instead to remain intentionally tight-knit to keep momentum high and decision-making efficient.
In the coming days, the studio plans to release raw gameplay footage, patch notes outlining recent improvements, an in-depth look at modding tools, pricing details, and the long-awaited early access release date. Hytale is no longer a project drifting through shifting priorities. It’s back in the hands of the people who built it and it’s getting a second chance.
What is Hytale?
Hytale is an upcoming sandbox RPG that blends the creativity of Minecraft-like building with adventure, exploration, modding, and deep world-building. It’s developed by Hypixel Studios, the team behind the world’s most popular Minecraft server.
Hytale release date, early access, and platforms
While the release date hasn’t been set in stone, the game’s early access will launch on Windows first, with attempts at Linux and macOS support to follow for the community.
