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March 20, 2026

What Is Hytale? Everything You Need to Know in 2026

If you've been hearing about Hytale and wondering what all the excitement is about, you're in the right place. Here's everything you need to know about the sandbox RPG that's been making waves since its Early Access launch.

What Is Hytale?

Hytale is a block-based sandbox RPG developed by Hypixel Studios, the team behind one of Minecraft's largest community servers. The game combines voxel building, action RPG combat, and deep modding support into a single package. It launched into Early Access on January 13, 2026 on Windows PC, with macOS and Linux support planned during the Early Access period.

The Hytale Story: Cancelled and Revived

Hytale's journey to release has been anything but straightforward. Development began in 2015, and Riot Games acquired Hypixel Studios in April 2020. However, on June 23, 2025, Riot cancelled the project and closed the studio, citing its overly ambitious scope.

The story didn't end there. Co-founder Simon Collins-Laflamme negotiated to reacquire the IP from Riot, successfully doing so on November 17, 2025. He rehired over 30 developers, returned to the game's original vision and legacy engine, and announced an Early Access date just two months later. The studio is now fully independent and personally committed to funding Hytale's development for the next decade.

Gameplay Features

Exploration Mode

The primary game mode features survival and adventure gameplay with structured progression through different Zones. Players craft, explore procedurally generated worlds with diverse biomes, delve into dungeons and towers, and advance through tiered crafting stations in a progression system reminiscent of Valheim.

Combat

Unlike simple click-to-attack systems, Hytale features action RPG-style combat with six weapon types, each offering unique movesets. Players can perform charge attacks, manage stamina, block with right-click, and activate signature abilities after building up energy. It's a significant step up in depth for the block-game genre.

Building & Creative Mode

Creative Mode gives players unrestricted building tools including block rotation, placement previews, and connected block textures. The world generation system creates diverse environments from surface biomes to underground jungles populated with dinosaurs and other creatures.

Multiplayer

Multiplayer is a core part of the Hytale experience, and it's where platforms like Hytale Servers Online come in:

  • Co-op with friends: Open your singleplayer world to friends using UPnP and share codes — no dedicated server needed
  • Dedicated servers: Fully supported with 4GB+ RAM and Java 25, using QUIC protocol over UDP (port 5520 by default)
  • In-game server browser: A built-in tool for discovering community servers with sorting and filtering by game type, language, and more
  • PvP: Can be enabled by the host in world settings
  • Automatic mod sync: When joining a modded server, mods download automatically with no manual installation

Community servers are already offering survival, RPG, minigames, creative, and custom experiences, with official Hypixel-run minigame servers planned for future updates.

Modding: A First-Class Feature

One of Hytale's biggest differentiators is its built-in modding support. Unlike games where modding is a community afterthought, Hytale was designed for it from the ground up:

  • Packs (Asset Packs): Add or modify blocks, mobs, items, and behaviors using the visual Asset Editor — no coding required
  • Plugins: Java-based extensions using Hytale's API for deeper server-side functionality
  • Creator Tools: Built-in Asset Editor, worldgen editors, Model Maker for custom 3D assets, and Blockbench integration
  • CurseForge integration: Mod distribution built in from Day 1

All mods run server-side, meaning players joining a modded server get everything automatically — no manual client-side installation needed. Hypixel Studios has even launched a $100,000 modding contest managed by CurseForge to kickstart the modding community.

How Does Hytale Compare to Minecraft?

Given that Hytale was created by the Hypixel Minecraft server team, comparisons are inevitable:

  • Combat: Hytale's action RPG system with weapon-specific movesets and signature abilities vs. Minecraft's simpler attack system
  • Progression: Structured zone-based advancement with tiered crafting vs. Minecraft's open-ended sandbox
  • Modding: Official built-in mod support with automatic server-side distribution vs. community-driven modding requiring manual setup
  • Movement: Hytale's base movement and sprinting are noticeably faster
  • Story: A planned Adventure Mode with guided narrative content (the "Cursebreaker" story arc) — something Minecraft doesn't have

Both games are excellent in their own right. Hytale isn't trying to replace Minecraft — it's building on what the block-game genre can be.

Pricing and Availability

Hytale is available now in Early Access on Windows PC through the official Hytale launcher (not on Steam). Three editions are available:

  • Standard Edition: $19.99 USD
  • Supporter Edition: $34.99 USD
  • Cursebreaker Founders Pack: $69.99 USD

The Early Access period is expected to last several years, with weekly patches bundled into stable updates every 2-6 weeks. Console (PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch) and mobile versions are planned but not expected before 2028.

Find Your Server

Ready to jump into Hytale multiplayer? Browse our server list to find survival, PvP, adventure, creative, and more. Server owners can list their server for free and compete for premium spotlight placement through our weekly bidding system.