“We did it. Hytale is saved. We have acquired Hytale from Riot Games.”
That was the founder Hypixel earlier this morning after Riot Games decided to sell Hytale back to the studio. Now, the action RPG is being rushed to launch.
“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,” Founder Simon Collins-Laflamme said. “This game has always been close to my heart, and I’m excited to bring it back home.
“Real talk: Hytale isn’t some polished AAA release waiting in the wings. It’s messy. It’s janky. And there’s a lot of work to be done. My plan? Get it out to you as soon as possible. No more waiting. You’ll get to play it, rough edges and all. It won’t be perfect on day one. My hope is that together, we’ll shape it into something truly special.”
Why did Riot have Hytale and why didn’t the game get released?
In June 2025, Hypixel Studios announced it was shutting down and ending Hytale’s development. According to Hypixel CEO Aaron “Noxy” Donaghey, the team felt they couldn’t “bring Hytale to life in a way that truly delivered on its promise.”
The studio was purchased by Riot Games in 2020 while the game was mid-development. It’s been working on the game since 2015. Unfortunately, Riot decided to close Hypixel five years later, offering the team a generous severance package. After seeing the community’s disappointment, the team knew it couldn’t let go of the project.
As a result, Hypixel Studios rehired more than 30 developers and became an independent company aimed at bringing back Hytale in its original form. First, however, Hypixel had to purchase the game back from Riot Games.
“After evaluating multiple offers, we’ve reached an agreement to return Hytale to [Simon], giving this community its best shot at experiencing a revised version of the game. Wishing the team the best of luck for what’s ahead,” Riot Games tweeted.
The rare transaction has been met with mixed emotions from gamers. Some were just shocked to see a big company give a game back to the original team while others were angry that Riot let the game sit there for so long before attempting to shut it down.
When is Hytale coming out?
Hytale is completely self-funded for the next 10 years and Hypixel remains an independent studio with no connections to Riot or anyone else.
Currently, the team has made the decision to switch over to Legacy Engine. They claim there’s a playable game that feels how “Hytale was supposed to be.” This includes over 100 NPCs, thousands of items and blocks, and tons of bugs.
Adventure Mode and Mini-games are still in development but aren’t the focus. For now, the team wants to polish the living world, modding, core mechanics, and sandbox experience. However, the community is free to start making its own mini-games and custom servers.
“We’re a small, dedicated team by design. Scaling too fast creates new problems. The cost of staying small is that we can’t balance and finish everything in a few weeks. The benefit is that we can move quickly, make decisions efficiently, and avoid the bureaucracy that kills momentum,” the announcement reads.
The release date has not yet been revealed, but could be shared in the coming days. For now, expect the early access to come soon. And yes, it will probably be a mess.
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