After a long and unfulfilling development phase of an ambitious Minecraft competitor, waiting fans were finally confronted with the news that the project had been scrapped. Yet, 5 months after the arrived demise, the founder of the development studio reaches out to the community with saving words.
Which game is being talked about? It is the sandbox RPG “Hytale” from Hypixel Studios, which gained over 61 million views with its first trailer after its initial announcement in 2018. A large hype developed around a possible competitor to Minecraft, but its release was continuously postponed due to unattained technical ambitions and pushed further back. Riot Games, which bought Hypixel Studios in 2020, finally turned off the money tap in June 2025 after years of development, and the studio was gradually closed down.
The reasons for this decision would have been the ever-increasing ambitions of the studio and with them a constantly changing vision that required more and more time and consequently budget. Compromises were sought that would have turned Hytale into a completely different game. The project was scrapped and with it the anticipation of many waiting players.
But now, 5 months after this announcement and the exchange with Riot Games, a co-founder of Hytale and Hypixel Studios, Simon Collins-Laflamme, shares a message on X, which sounds decidedly more optimistic, even hopeful: “Hytale is saved.”
Back to the original vision with “all edges and corners”
What does the co-founder announce? Simon Collins-Laflamme surprised with a positive message that Riot Games has returned Hytale to them and that the game now has a future after all. In a follow-up message, he seems to directly address the problem of the unclear vision and the ever-increasing ambitions, which reassures fans:
Thank you to Riot for working with me to make this possible. They wanted the best for the players, and that means we will be able to play the game eventually.
This game has always been close to my heart, and I look forward to bringing it back home.
To be honest: Hytale is not a polished AAA game just waiting to be released. It is chaotic. It is unfinished. And there is still a lot to do.
My plan? To get it out to you as soon as possible. No more waiting. You will be able to play it with all its edges and corners.
On the first day, it will not be perfect. I hope that together we can make it something special.
Thank you for believing in Hytale. Time to get to work.
– Simon Collins-Laflamme (@Simon_Hypixel), co-founder of Hypixel Studios on X
On the official Hytale website, he adds that it made no sense for Riot Games to continue developing the game in its existing form. Nevertheless, they ultimately wanted players to receive a revamped version of Hytale at some point, for which the co-founder expresses his deep thanks to Riot.
In the past few weeks, the studio has hired over 30 former developers who “know the game inside and out” and will return to their work and the original vision of Hytale. They are now working completely independently and are personally determined to fund Hytale for the next 10 years.
What will happen next? Instead of refining a perfect game engine, the team wants to focus on the game itself first, even if that risks delivering an unfinished product. They also want to involve the community in this and particularly rely on the help of modders in content creation, as well as reporting bugs, feedback, and building together.
What fans who have continued to believe in Hytale can expect is described as follows:
“This is not a polished product. It is a raw, unfinished, sometimes buggy experience with incredible potential. You will find placeholder content, unbalanced systems, and frustrating bugs. But you will also experience magical moments, discover perfectly functioning systems, and get a glimpse of what it could become. With Early Access, we want to earn your trust rather than demand it.” (Source: Hytale.com)
Hypixel Studios now gets a second chance to learn from past mistakes and do better. According to community reactions, fans have not yet, or at least no longer, given up on the potential success of the project. You can read here on MeinMMO about the state of Hytale in 2018 and what caused the hype: This MMORPG wants to be Minecraft, just better
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