Hytale Early Access
After being rescued from cancellation by its original founders, Hytale is launching in Early Access on January 13, 2026.
Hytale's Incredible Comeback Story
In June 2025, Riot Games officially announced the cancellation of Hytale and the wind-down of Hypixel Studios, seemingly bringing the long-anticipated sandbox RPG to an end. For many players, it looked like Hytale was gone for good.
That changed on November 17, 2025.
In a surprising reversal, Hytale's original founders, Simon Collins-Laflamme and Philippe Touchette, repurchased the game from Riot Games and restored Hytale as a fully independent project. Ownership returned entirely to the creators who started the game, with no publishers or outside investors involved.
The founders personally committed to funding Hytale for the next 10 years, ensuring long-term development stability. They also rehired over 40 former Hypixel Studios developers, many of whom had deep familiarity with the original codebase and design vision.
One of the most important decisions came shortly after: the team officially abandoned the troubled cross-platform C++ engine rewrite. Instead, development returned to the original C#/Java engine first shown in the 2018 Hytale trailer. This legacy build was already playable and, according to the team, finally felt like "what Hytale was supposed to be."
This reset marked a turning point, allowing development to move forward again with a clear and focused direction.
What's Launching with Hytale Early Access (January 13, 2026)
Exploration Mode
Explore the procedurally generated world of Orbis, featuring over 100 NPCs, thousands of items, and dynamic biomes designed for long-term exploration and progression.
Creative Mode
Creative Mode gives players full creative freedom with unlimited resources. Build massive structures, prototype mechanics, and create custom worlds without survival restrictions.
Modding Support
Hytale launches with full modding support from day one. Players can modify core gameplay systems, create custom content, and run private or public servers immediately.
Coming After Launch
Adventure Mode and official Minigames are planned as post-launch updates and will be added as Early Access development continues.
Hytale Early Access - Common Questions
When does Hytale Early Access launch?
Hytale Early Access launches on January 13, 2026. Pre-purchases became available on December 13, 2025. Read the full announcement at hytale.com/news.
Who owns Hytale now?
Hytale is owned entirely by its original founders, Simon Collins-Laflamme and Philippe Touchette, who repurchased the game from Riot Games in November 2025. The project is independently funded, with no publishers or external investors.
What platforms will Hytale launch on?
Hytale Early Access launches on Windows PC only. Linux and macOS support may follow later. Console and mobile versions are planned much further in the future. The team returned to the legacy engine to ensure a stable and playable PC release first.
What content is included at Early Access launch?
Early Access includes Exploration Mode, Creative Mode, and full modding tools. Adventure Mode and official Minigames will be added later. Players should expect bugs, balance changes, and frequent updates - this is true early access development.
Will Hytale be free to play?
No. Hytale is a paid game. Pricing was announced in December 2025. Since the founders now fully own the project, Hytale will not follow Riot Games' free-to-play model.
Early Access Coming Soon!
January 13, 2026 is almost here! Find your community and get ready to explore Orbis on day one.
Browse Servers