After a protracted and often uncertain development cycle, Hytale entered Early Access today, January 13, 2026, offering players a first look at the sandbox game developed and published by Hypixel Studios. The launch follows a tumultuous period for the title, which was canceled in June 2025 before being repurchased and revived by its original creator, Simon Collins-Laflamme, in November 2025.
The release into Early Access marks a significant turning point for Hytale, which began development in 2015 by members of the Minecraft server team at Hypixel. Initial funding came from Riot Games, which later acquired Hypixel Studios in 2020. The decision to revert to a four-year-old legacy build, rather than continue with a complete cross-platform rewrite, necessitated merging over 300 GitHub branches, a substantial engineering undertaking according to a statement released by the Hytale Team.
Hypixel Studios confirmed the Early Access launch via a post on the Hytale website, acknowledging the game’s unpolished state but emphasizing the foundation for future development. “Early Access – many features are still missing, and bugs are expected,” the team stated. The game is available for purchase as the Starter Edition for $19.99 USD.
The revival of Hytale was spurred by a community-led movement, #savehytale, which successfully advocated for the original founders to regain control of the project. Since the reacquisition, the studio has rehired over 40 former and new team members, bringing the total staff to 50. The team is operating as an independent studio once again.
Hytale features a procedurally generated fantasy world composed of blocks, offering players opportunities for building, exploration, and participation in minigames reminiscent of those found on the Hypixel server. The game also includes tools for creating and sharing mods and custom content. Currently, the world consists of four distinct “zones” comprised of various biomes and creatures. Gameplay is intended to incorporate RPG-styled combat, dungeon exploration, and dynamic boss encounters.
Despite the launch, Hypixel Studios cautioned players to expect a potentially unstable experience during the initial launch week due to unexpectedly high demand. The team has committed to ongoing development and improvements, acknowledging that the current build represents a prototype stage. Modders, server owners, and creators are encouraged to engage with the game early, as their contributions will be crucial to Hytale’s future.
