Riot Games, the developer of League of Legends, announced several new games in 2019. Now a sandbox RPG is joining the portfolio. The studio has acquired the development team behind Hytale.
Which company did Riot acquire? Hypixel Studios is a company made up of former Minecraft modders, currently working on their own co-op RPG called Hytale.
Hytale already garnered a lot of attention with a trailer in early 2019. It has since been viewed over 55 million times (as of April 16, 2020). The game is heavily inspired by Minecraft but aims to improve upon certain aspects.
Now Riot Games has acquired the company but allows it to continue operating as an independent studio. The developers plan to push forward the co-op RPG as intended and improve it with the help of a strong partner.
Will Hytale be the next big sandbox game?
What is behind Hytale? Hytale is a game in “block graphics” where you can break down and rebuild almost any block. This allows you to create houses, cities, and entire worlds according to your wishes.
The game is supposed to offer PvE and PvP servers at release, so that all types of players can enjoy themselves. It is also expected to include more character customization, more story, and generally more features than Minecraft.
Work on the co-op RPG began as early as 2015:
- At that time, the studio consisted of only 2 employees
- Currently, more than 40 developers are working on the game
- According to the FAQ regarding the acquisition, more developers are to be hired after the acquisition. Currently, there are 20 job postings for the office in Northern Ireland.
How far along is the game? On YouTube, you can find various gameplay and information about Hytale. The developers also regularly share updates about it.
The sandbox RPG is expected to be released in a playable version by 2021. Whether it will be a full release or early access is currently unknown. You can currently sign up for a beta phase on the official site.
What influence does Riot have? As the developers stated, work on Hytale will continue as usual. The studios operate separately from each other, even though the leadership positions are filled by people from both Riot Games and Hypixel Studios.
The studio behind the new RPG wants to benefit particularly from Riot’s experience, which is also to be passed on to the employees.
One reason for the acquisition was reportedly the increased pressure on the small development studio since the announcement of Hytale. Many have high expectations for the co-op RPG.
Riot is currently very active with new games
Riot Games was long known for just one game: League of Legends. In October 2019, they announced six more titles, including the card game Legends of Runeterra, which is set to be officially released soon, and the shooter Valorant.
Now another RPG is being added, even though the studio is not developing it themselves. The title should not be confused with Project F, the RPG that Riot is working on.
The acquisition of Hypixel Studios was not Riot Games’ first purchase. In 2016, Riot Games acquired the studio Radiant Entertainment, which published Stonehearth, a building game. Another title from the studio, Rising Thunder, was however discontinued.
