Hytale Dev Issues Statement on Game’s Early Access Launch

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After a long and difficult development process, the open-world RPG Hytale, inspired by Minecraft, was finally released in early access on January 13, 2026. Simon Collins-Laflamme, founder of the game’s developer, Hypixel Studios, says he’s proud of the team’s achievement in getting the game finished and into the hands of players. Hytale was first announced in 2018, but faced technical and financial hurdles that put its future in doubt for years. Now that it’s available in early access, the development team is focused on adding new content and improvements, and is committed to making Hytale the best game it can be.

When Hytale was first announced, players who loved open-world games like Minecraft were thrilled about the potential of a new, creative world to explore. However, the game faced many challenges during development, including a complete overhaul of its core technology and numerous gameplay problems – even basic features like movement and camera control were initially unstable. In 2020, Riot Games bought Hytale and its developer, Hypixel Studios, but the game was sold back to Collins-Laflamme in 2025 after development stalled and rumors spread that Hytale was cancelled. Fortunately, Collins-Laflamme and Hypixel managed to get the game working, and fans can now play an early access version of Hytale.

Hytale Early Access Launch is a “Miracle”

Simon Collins-Laflamme from Hypixel Studios expressed frustration with the time lost during the development of Hytale. He believes the game has incredible potential, but instead of improving the gameplay, the team had to rebuild it using a new game engine. Once Hypixel regained control, a significant amount of work was needed to get the game ready for release. Collins-Laflamme confirmed the rebuilt engine won’t be used moving forward. Now, the team is prioritizing rebuilding player trust and making consistent progress with frequent updates. He considers it remarkable that Hytale was saved at all, and the team isn’t planning to slow down or celebrate prematurely. Instead, they’re channeling their past frustration into dedicated effort to finally deliver the game they envision.

In a recent Q&A, the developers of Hytale explained the game’s rapid development – including the recent major update – by saying they’ve focused on trusting their team and avoiding unnecessary meetings. Hypixel, the development studio, is prioritizing getting features into the game quickly as a ‘first draft,’ then improving them with updates based on player feedback. They acknowledge they’re taking some shortcuts now to speed things up, which will require some technical work later on. However, this approach allows for faster updates and more player involvement, ultimately leading to a more satisfying game experience over the long term.

The future of Hytale is looking promising now that Hypixel Studios has secured funding for the next two years of development. While it’s still unclear how long it will take the team, led by Collins-Laflamme, to fully realize their vision for the game, their rapid progress – from regaining control of the game to launching an early access version and releasing a first update – suggests exciting things are still to come for Hytale.

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2026-01-20 21:34