„Hytale is saved.” Hypixel team announces that they bought back Hytale from Riot

Hytale has been saved. That is the message Simon, the founder of Hypixel Studios, shared today. Hypixel was originally a popular Minecraft server, but in 2018, with support from Riot Games, Hypixel Studios began working on Hytale, a sandbox RPG with clear Minecraft influences. However, the development did not go smoothly, and Hytale was ultimately cancelled this past June. By August, Simon reportedly entered talks with Riot Games to buy back the rights to Hytale so development could continue. Today, on social media, Simon has shared that they have successfully “acquired Hytale from Riot Games.”

“We did it. Hytale is saved.” Simon from Hypixel shares that they have bought back the game

The news was initially shared on social media, but the Hytale Team also shared a blog post with a much more in-depth explanation of what happened and what to expect going forward. Amazingly, along with the acquisition, they “have rehired more than 30 developers who know this game inside out, with additional returns expected in the coming days…” according to the blog post. This is an incredible start to the project's revival. Years after cancellation, it would not have been surprising to learn that many of the former Hypixel Studios staff had moved on to other projects. The team says they “are fully independent and personally committed to funding Hytale for the next 10 years.”

Simon announces the great news.Source: Hytale Team and Simon on X/Twitter

The Hytale Team seems to be gearing up for an early access launch, writing in the blog post that an early access date is “to be announced in the coming days,” along with pricing plans, gameplay footage, patch notes, and a roadmap. In the social media announcement, Simon said that “Hytale isn’t some polished AAA release waiting in the wings. It’s messy. It’s janky. And there’s a lot of work to be done.” But despite that, the team’s goal is to get the game into people's hands as quickly as possible. “No more waiting,” Simon says. “You’ll get to play it, rough edges and all.”

Regarding Riot Games, it is important to keep in mind that they have not necessarily been the bad guy in all this. Simon does not blame the publisher, and in today’s social media post writes: “Huge thanks to Riot for working with me to make this happen. They wanted what’s best for players, and that’s for us to eventually play the game.”

Related:Hytale: a brand new game from the Minecraft community

For long-time fans of this project, which has been in the works for 7 years, this must be exciting news. It may be years before Hytale launches in a proper “1.0” state, but the fact that so many of the original team have returned and that the studio is completely independent offers a lot of hope. It may not be long before players can actually play Hytale, which is a huge shift from its cancellation.

Hytale

January 13, 2026

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• Riot Games
• cancelled games
• Hypixel Studios