Hytale Development Resumes as Hypixel Studios Reacquires IP Rights from Riot Games

The development of Hytale, a long-anticipated Minecraft competitor, is officially back on track. The project has been revived after Hypixel Studios successfully reacquired the IP rights from Riot Games. Hytale originally entered development in 2015 with early financial backing from Riot, which later fully purchased Hypixel Studios in 2020. Although the game was declared canceled in June 2025, the studio has now reversed that decision.

Origins of the Project

Hypixel Studios grew out of the massive popularity of the Hypixel Minecraft server, one of the largest and most influential hubs for custom mini-games and user-generated content. Building on this success, the team set out to create a fully original sandbox game—one that could stand alongside Minecraft while embracing the same spirit of creativity, modding, and community-driven content.

Hytale was envisioned as a procedurally generated sandbox adventure, blending traditional block-building gameplay with RPG combat mechanics, dungeon exploration, and a strong emphasis on mini-games.

Hytale Returns: Independent Development and 10-Year Funding Commitment

In a new update posted on the official Hytale website, studio co-founder Simon Collins-Laflamme announced that development is resuming. After securing the rights from Riot Games, he confirmed a personal 10-year financing plan to ensure the project’s future. Additionally, around 30 developers have been rehired, allowing production to continue from where it stopped before the cancellation.

While there is still no confirmed release date, the team promises to share more information soon. The game is currently planned to launch first on Windows, with experimental builds also being explored for Linux and Mac. Console versions remain uncertain and are considered much further down the road.

Early Access Plans and Future Features

Hypixel Studios has outlined which features will be ready for the early access release and which will require more development time.

Confirmed for Early Access Launch:

• Exploration Mode
• Creative Mode
• Modding Support

Planned for Post-Launch Updates:

• Mini-Games
• Adventure Mode

Despite mini-games being one of the most iconic aspects of both the Hypixel Server and Hytale itself, Collins-Laflamme emphasized that the underlying infrastructure still needs significant work. However, a dedicated team is now focused specifically on mini-game development, ensuring they will arrive over time.

Collins-Laflamme also cautioned that Hytale’s early access version may feel incomplete at launch, but encouraged players to embrace its rough edges and help shape the game’s future through feedback. The goal, he says, is to turn Hytale into the passion project the team always envisioned.