The Minecraft-like sandbox game Hytale, which had folks excited for years, won’t see the light of day after a decade of work. Hypixel Studios, the team behind it, is shutting things down.
Development Challenges and Tough Choices
Hytale kicked off in 2015, aiming to blend the mini-games from Hypixel’s super popular Minecraft server—visited by over 18 million players since 2013—with a fresh RPG sandbox built from scratch. Riot Games, the folks behind League of Legends, threw in big money before buying Hypixel in 2020. But now, the project’s been scrapped.
In a detailed post on their site, Hypixel shared the rough news. “This isn’t what any of us—Hypixel or Riot—wanted,” they said. “After years of trying every possible route, we realized we couldn’t make Hytale live up to its full potential.”
Building a game is no joke, especially something new for a passionate crowd. As their vision grew and the genre got more competitive, the challenges piled up. Even after a major engine overhaul, Hytale wasn’t where it needed to be. The team looked at scaling back or tweaking timelines, but those fixes would’ve watered down what made Hytale special. “It wouldn’t have been the game we promised or the one you deserve,” they said.
They’re proud of the risks they took and the world they imagined, but it wasn’t enough. The Hypixel Minecraft server, run separately, isn’t affected and will keep going as usual.
What’s Next for the Team and Community
Hypixel tried finding new investors to keep Hytale alive, but with no more funding from Riot, the project’s done. The studio, with over 100 employees, is winding down over the next few months. They’re helping their team with solid severance packages and support to find new gigs.
To the fans, Hypixel said, “Thank you. Your support kept us going. Even though this chapter’s over, Hytale’s spirit will stick with us. We’re proud of what we built and will carry those lessons forward.”
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