A phoenix rises from the ashes! The highly anticipated sandbox game, Hytale, is back in the hands of its original creators, promising a fresh start after a surprising turn of events.
This is a story of unexpected twists and turns in the gaming world. Riot Games, the giant behind League of Legends, has sold Hytale back to its original co-founders, Simon Collins-Laflamme and Philippe Touchette. Initially, Riot Games acquired Hypixel Studios, the team behind Hytale, in 2020. But earlier this year, the project was unexpectedly shut down.
But here's where it gets controversial... Hytale is a unique blend of building, crafting, and roleplaying, offering both solo and group experiences. Imagine Minecraft, but with a deeper narrative and RPG elements. The game was initially developed by Hyperpixel Studios, a small team that started in 2018. After Riot's acquisition, the co-founders stepped away, leaving many fans wondering about the game's future.
Riot Games had been an early investor in Hytale, providing support during its early development. After the acquisition, Hypixel Studios was meant to leverage Riot's resources while maintaining a degree of independence. However, despite progress reports and internal testing, Riot announced the end of Hytale and the closure of Hypixel Studios just three months later.
"When we saw the community’s reaction, we knew we had to act," Collins-Laflamme explained in a blog post. "Although we hadn’t been involved with Hytale since 2020, Hytale and its community have always been something we cherished. We made an offer to Riot Games without seeing the full state of the project.”
And this is the part most people miss... Yesterday, both parties confirmed the re-acquisition of Hytale and the continuation of the project. Riot Games shared on social media, "After evaluating multiple offers, we’ve reached an agreement to return Hytale to Simon Collins-Laflamme, 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.”
In the latest Hytale blog post, Collins-Laflamme discussed the current state of the game and future plans. The co-founders now have 100% ownership and have committed to personal funding for the next ten years. Moreover, over 30 developers who previously worked on the project have been re-hired.
Despite its current unpolished state, an early access version of Hytale will launch as soon as possible. The exact launch date and pricing will be revealed soon. At launch, Hytale will feature an Exploration Mode, Creative Mode, and modding capabilities, with Adventure Mode and minigames to follow. The team plans to finalize the game based on player feedback throughout the early access period, which is expected to last several years.
"We expect our roadmap to evolve as we learn more about the game’s needs and how players respond. […] We know the risk of releasing an unfinished product. First impressions matter, and it’s hard to change minds,” clarified the co-founder. "But this is a risk we must take. We need your help creating content, reporting bugs, giving feedback, and building this with us. No risk, no Hytale.”
What do you think about this surprising turn of events? Are you excited about the return of Hytale? Do you think the original creators can bring the game to its full potential? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
