Hytale: Minecraft-Inspired MMO Relaunching Soon in Early Access by Its Creator

Hypixel’s Surprising Turnaround for Hytale

In a significant turn of events over the past five months, Hypixel, known for its popular Minecraft server, had initially announced the shutdown of its ambitious game project, Hytale. This decision came on the heels of Riot Games’ acquisition of the studio and the project in April 2020, which subsequently led to complications, including a controversial request for a change in the game engine.

Hytale Returns to Its Roots

Simon “Hypixel”Collins-Laflamme has recently delighted fans by announcing that he has reclaimed the rights to Hytale from Riot Games. The game will now revert to its original ‘Legacy’ engine, a decision attributed to the new ‘Cross-platform’ engine being significantly underdeveloped in terms of gameplay features. Collins-Laflamme noted that it could take at least two years for this engine to reach parity with the original. However, the studio plans to eventually enhance the Legacy engine with cross-platform compatibility, broadening accessibility beyond PC users.

Team Rebuilding and Anticipated Early Access

As part of this transformation, Collins-Laflamme has already brought back over thirty former developers from the Hypixel team, with more expected to join soon. A launch date for early access is anticipated to be revealed shortly; however, Collins-Laflamme has cautioned that players should expect the typical challenges associated with early access, including bugs, crashes, and incomplete features. He estimates that reaching version 1.0 of Hytale will still be a lengthy journey, likely taking “at least a few years.”

Game Features and Community Involvement

Currently, Hytale boasts over 100 NPCs and thousands of items and blocks, though many configurations remain incomplete. Notably, key features such as Adventure Mode and official minigames will not be available at the early access launch. The development team recognizes the importance of these elements within the original vision of Hytale, and they are committed to incorporating minigames as soon as the core game becomes stable. In the interim, the community is encouraged to start crafting their own custom minigames, servers, and experiences, with the promise that assets from official minigames will be made available to further enhance community creativity.

Emphasizing Modding Opportunities

Hytale is set to embrace a robust modding culture right from the outset. Collins-Laflamme highlighted the platform’s versatility, emphasizing that modding nearly any aspect—content and server-side—is possible, and even those without extensive technical knowledge can create engaging experiences. The team plans to provide access to server source code within a few months, empowering users to develop their own custom servers, maps, and adventures.

This renewed commitment to Hytale underscores Hypixel’s dedication to crafting a game that not only captivates fans but also fosters an active community of creators.

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