Everything you need to know about Hytale, the latest Minecraft killer

Hytale is out in early access after more than a decade of development. It's not quite the Hytale that developer-publisher Hypixel Studios originally promised, and it definitely isn't the version the team promised when Riot was set to publish the game. This early access launch is pared back, with features such as the campaign-driven adventure mode missing. However, Hypixel is promising to do its best to support the game for at least the next couple of years and bring it closer to the original version of the game first announced in 2018. Hypixel Studios expects more than 1 million players for Hytale’s early-access launch, so here’s everything you need to know about the next big thing that seemingly came out of nowhere — even though it actually didn’t.

What is Hytale?

Hytale, in its current form, is a sandbox builder with modding potential made by Hypixel Studios, a team that established a reputation for its Minecraft servers and the minigames that lived there. Hytale has two playable modes at launch, including a set of creative tools to mod the game and a survival-type "exploration" mode that lets you roam the wilds, build things, and generally get an idea of how Hytale works. It's like Minecraft for the moment, though the plan was always for something more distinct. Hypixel originally wanted to create a block game with strategic PvP combat, overworld exploration, and a campaign complete with factions and quests would set it apart from similar games. A troubled development cycle meant that didn't happen, however.

Wasn't Hytale canceled? Who is the publisher of Hytale?

It was canceled. Hypixel started developing Hytale in 2015 as a sort-of successor to Minecraft, and the project grew in scope and complexity until 2020, when Riot Games purchased the studio. In 2021, Hypixel began migrating development to a new game engine in a bid to keep up with what Hypixel’s then-COO (now CEO) Aaron Donaghey called the project's ever-expanded technical ambitions in a now-deleted farewell post. The specter of feature bloat haunted the project for years as the team tried to find new ways to redefine the blocky builder genre, and by the scheduled time of Hytale's first early access launch in 2021, the dev team was still prototyping features for the new engine, in the old engine.

In July 2025, after 10 years of development, there was still no Hytale. Riot canceled the game. Collins-Laflamme stepped in after some encouragement from Hytale supporters with an offer to purchase the game back from Riot, which the latter eventually accepted, so he re-hired a few dozen members of the original Hytale development team and assessed what state the game was in. Key features were missing, including the promised adventure mode and support for minigames, hence why Hytale is launching in early access without those. This means Hypixel Studios is now self-publishing Hytale.

Where can I buy Hytale, and what is the price?

For now, the only way to buy and play Hytale is by purchasing it from the game's official website and downloading the Hytale launcher. There are three versions of Hytale you can buy:

• Standard: $19.99
• Supporter: $34.99
• Cursebreaker: $69.99

You only need the standard version to play the game. Supporter and Cursebreaker include additional cosmetics, like different goggles or a pop star outfit, so you won't miss anything essential if you opt for the standard version. You can also upgrade to a different version later during Hytale's early access period, if you really want those costumes.

Is Hytale on Steam?

Hytale's initial early access launch is not available on Steam, console, or mobile. Hypixel said in a FAQ post that Steam doesn't currently support some of the game's modding features, and the team will communicate with Valve following Hytale's release to "see what's possible." There's no guarantee it will eventually launch on Steam or other platforms, though.

What's in Hytale during early access?

Hytale's release is a bit unusual compared to most early access games. It's launching in what developer-publisher Hypixel Studios called "very early access" roughly two months after founder Simon Collins-Laflamme negotiated the re-purchase of Hytale from Riot Games. This plan was part of Collins-Laflamme's original idea for how to save the game following its cancellation — put it live in early access as soon as possible, with whatever was functional, and let it grow from there with community input.

That means some features promised earlier during Hytale's development won't be present at the initial launch, including minigames and the quest-based adventure mode.

• What's present at launch: Creative mode, exploration mode, modding
• What's coming later: Adventure mode, minigames

Collins-Laflamme said the team is committed to supporting Hytale for at least 10 years, and there were enough pre-purchases to fund two more years of development. The "short-to-mid term plan" is for many smaller updates to help keep Hytale running smoothly and expand on existing features, rather than working for long periods of time on one update. So rather than big features like adventure mode, expect to see improvements to things such as progression, a feature Collins-Laflamme told YouTuber Reddoons didn't even exist in the game prior to Hypixel re-acquiring it in November 2025.

What are Hytale's exploration and creative modes?

Exploration mode "temporarily replaces our vision for adventure mode," Collins-Laflamme recently told YouTuber Reddoons. "In exploration mode, you can fight, loot, farm, explore, build, and play with friends; it's more of a prologue to what Hytale will be." It is, in other words, a survival-builder sandbox in the vein of Minecraft, though Collins-Laflamme said "we want to add dungeons, epic boss fights, and more in the future." There's not currently a timeframe for when that might happen.

Hytale's creative mode includes an extensive set of modding and building tools. These include:

• Player model changer (replacing your avatar with a dog or a dove, for example)
• Prefab browser and editor, with buildings and entities (character and animal models) to place in them
• Paste tool for quick testing and placement of prefabs
• Brushes for adding and editing terrain
• A basic machinima tool that lets you edit things such as cameras and angles of perspective

There are a handful of additional features available in early access as well, alongside updates to existing functions like the machinima tool. Bear in mind that these may be bugged at launch. During a demonstration video Collins-Laflamme uploaded showing the prefab tool's entities, for example, all the character animations were working improperly. However, Hypixel still promises players will have the freedom to make their own games and worlds in Hytale’s creative mode. Collins-Laflamme also posted videos of a side-scrolling action game made in Hytale, and even iD Software's Doom running in the game after some tinkering.