Minecraft-Inspired Sandbox Game Hytale Canceled After A Decade Of Development

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10 years into its development, Hytale, a project jointly undertaken by Riot Games and Hypixel Studios, has been terminated.

As a dedicated member of the Hytale community, I’m sharing some disappointing news that came straight from Noxy, one of Hypixel Studios’ co-founders. In a heartfelt post on the Hytale website, he announced that we’re wrapping up the development of Hytale and initiating the closure of Hypixel Studios over the next few months. This decision wasn’t an easy one for any of us at Hypixel or Riot, but despite our best efforts, years of pushing forward, adapting, and exploring different paths, it ultimately became clear that we couldn’t bring Hytale to life in a way that truly met its potential.

Hytale is an independent game venture born from Hypixel, a well-known Minecraft server. The team behind its development shares the same name as Hytale. Initially designed to be a sandbox game similar to Minecraft but with enhanced modding capabilities and a stronger emphasis on role-playing elements, it also includes multiple minigames for players to enjoy in addition to the standard sandbox experience. For a clearer perspective on the project’s goals, you might find this developer diary by Riot Games, released in 2021, enlightening.

In essence, Noxy’s post implies that Hytale’s cancellation suggests the project was simply too grand for the studio, as evidenced by its extended development period. The project traces back to 2015, and despite Riot Games acquiring Hypixel in 2020, there was still no sign of a launch.

Noxy acknowledges that it was apparent we required significantly more time to shape the game according to our grand vision, despite a comprehensive revamp of the game engine for Hytale. Instead of scaling down the concept or altering the development schedule to bring the project to fruition, Hypixel Studios and Riot opted to scrap the game altogether.

Hypixel Studios is closing down, but the developers are being given a generous severance package and resources to help them find new opportunities. The server for Hytale, which is based on Hypixel, will continue running separately and won’t be affected by Hytale’s cancellation.

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2025-06-24 01:39