Hytale is finally launching after being in development since 2015. Read on to learn about the potential Minecraft rival, its tumultuous history, and the long-awaited release.
Hytale Launching in Early Access January 13, 2026
Early Access Launch Coming After 2025 Cancellation
Hytale, a Minecraft-like sandbox RPG, is finally being released in early access on January 13, as confirmed by the game’s official X (Twitter) account earlier today. The launch had first been announced last November, but Hytale has had a long history of delays, even being officially cancelled midway through 2025.
Debuting exclusively through its official website, the game’s developers have deliberately chosen to launch to a smaller audience, focusing on serving their existing community and establishing a healthy feedback loop.
Hytale can be described as Minecraft, but with a fantasy-inspired setting, deep RPG elements, and a greater emphasis on community. Despite the visual and mechanical similarities, Hytale’s developers have stated that the game is not designed to compete with the Mojang title, but is "meant to be a playground where creators can fully express their imagination, while still enjoying a solid and immersive core gameplay experience."
Hytale's Early Days and High Hopes
Hypixel Inc., the company behind the mega-popular, record-holding Minecraft server of the same name, started work on Hytale as an independent project all the way back in 2015 after Minecraft EULA implementations led to the Hypixel server seeing a significant drop in revenue.
Work on Hytale ramped up after Riot Games, alongside an advisory group of industry veterans, invested millions in the formation of Hypixel Studios and the game’s continued development in 2018. In the same year, Hytale was finally unveiled via an announcement trailer, which amassed over 31 million views in 30 days, making it one of the most-viewed game trailers of 2018 despite its December premiere.
Riot Acquisition and Major Roadblocks
The scope for Hytale, along with internal expectations, continued to grow in 2020 when Riot Games completed its formal acquisition of Hypixel Studios. Development then suffered numerous setbacks, including major code rewrites and engine overhauls, trying to accommodate Riot’s vision for a large-scale, cross-platform player base.
Hytale’s problems continued to grow in the years to come, undergoing further revamps, frustrating fans with little communication, and missing both its 2021 and 2023 target release windows. In 2025, despite a decade in development, Riot Games revealed that Hytale was not close enough to a full release to justify continued investment, officially canning the game and closing down Hypixel Studios.
Hytale Officially Back from the Dead
Just months after Hytale’s cancellation, original co-founder Simon "Hypixel" Collins-Laflamme announced that Hypixel Inc. had bought back the rights to the game. "While it didn't make sense for [Riot Games] to continue developing it in its existing form, they ultimately wanted what's best for players," Collins-Laflamme wrote in a post on the Hytale website.
The blog post revealed that Collins-Laflamme is joined by co-founder Philippe Touchette, Technical Lead Kevin Carstens, and Management Lead Patrick Derbic, along with over 30 developers who had previously worked on Hytale.
Hytale is finally launching in early access on January 13, 2026, on PC via its official website, with pre-orders open until the day of release. The game will not be available on Steam or any other platform.
Sources:
Hytale on X | 7 Days until Early Access Release
Hytale Website | Hytale’s First FAQ
Hytale Website | Hytale: Full summary of the Q&A session with Slikey
Gosu Gamers | Riot Games cancels Minecraft-like game Hytale and closes Hypixel Studios
Edge Magazine | First Look: Hytale is putting adventure and creativity at the heart of its ambitious block-building sandbox
You may also like...
 |
Minecraft |
 |
Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma |
 |
RuneScape: Dragonwilds |
 |
Cloudheim |
 |
Palworld: Palfarm |
