The History of Hytale: From Ambition to Long Development
After nearly a decade of anticipation, sandbox RPG Hytale has entered Early Access. Developed by Hypixel Studios, the team behind Minecraft’s popular Hypixel server, Hytale was first announced in 2018 with promises of modding, quests, and multiplayer adventures.
Originally funded and later acquired by Riot Games, the project faced repeated delays due to technical challenges and shifting design goals, leading to its cancellation in 2025. Later that year, Hypixel’s founders regained control, downsized the team, and refocused on delivering a playable version.
The Early Access launch in January 2026 marks a milestone for the long-awaited game, which remains celebrated for both its ambition and its rollercoaster development story.
Hytale Early Access Review: A Promising Start with Rough Edges
On January 13, 2026, Hypixel Studios’ much awaited sandbox role-playing game Hytale formally entered early access following nearly ten years of development, a cancellation, and a developer buy-back from Riot Games.
A Familiar but Better Minecraft?
Hytale feels like Minecraft 2, familiar block‑based sandbox gameplay, but with tighter movement, more fluid mechanics, smoother performance, and added systems that feel like a Wishlist of improvements over Minecraft.
After 10 Hours of Playing with Friends. The gameplay in Hytale feels familiar yet more streamlined, with actions like chopping trees completed in a single motion and controls that feel noticeably more fluid. Movement and performance are smoother, and combat is functional, featuring a decent variety of enemies. Building, however, can feel a bit fiddly, and the game currently lacks a clear overarching goal beyond exploration, crafting, and constructing. Overall, The game is enjoyable but intends to play more before offering my final verdict.
Early Access in Context
The launch itself has been smooth despite substantial demand; servers handled significant player interest with fewer issues than expected. Developers say they will prioritize bug fixes and stability in the coming weeks.
Critically, Hytale enters early access at a relatively low price (~US$19.99) or (₱1,187.88) to encourage broad participation and community involvement in shaping its future development.
Verdict So Far
Right now, Hytale in early access is a fun and familiar sandbox world that feels like Minecraft… but with some noticeable improvements. Movement is smoother, the mechanics feel tighter, and there’s a little extra depth that makes exploring and building more enjoyable. That said, the game isn’t finished there’s still a lot of content to add, systems to refine, and stories to tell. For both players and critics, Hytale feels like a solid foundation with huge potential, rather than a polished final product. How the community engages with it now could play a big role in shaping the game’s future.
If you enjoyed this look at Hytale, don’t forget to follow our page for more updates, reviews, and gaming news. Stay tuned for the latest adventures, tips, and insights you won’t want to miss what’s coming next!