Hytale#Development
{{Short description|Cancelled video game}}
{{Infobox video game
| title = Hytale
| image = Hytale logo.png
| developer = Hypixel Studios
| publisher = Riot Games
| platforms = {{ubl|Windows|macOS}}
| director = Aaron Donaghey
| released = Cancelled
| genre = Sandbox
| modes = Single-player, multiplayer
| composer =
}}
Hytale was a sandbox game by Hypixel Studios. Production began in 2015 by developers from the Minecraft multiplayer server Hypixel with funding from Riot Games, who later bought the studio in 2020. It was planned to release for Windows and macOS before being cancelled in June 2025.
Gameplay
Hytale was to feature a fantasy world composed of procedurally-generated blocks of numerous shapes arranged in a three-dimensional grid, featuring different biomes, creatures, and dungeons.{{cite web |last1=Simpkins |first1=Jen |title=First Look: Hytale is putting adventure and creativity at the heart of its ambitious block-building sandbox |url=https://www.gamesradar.com/uk/hytale-first-look-preview/ |website=GamesRadar+ |date=24 February 2020 |access-date=27 February 2020 |archive-date=26 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200226140517/https://www.gamesradar.com/uk/hytale-first-look-preview/ |url-status=live}} Players would have been able to participate in minigames similar to those found on the Hypixel server and able to build and share mods and custom content using a set of browser-based and in-game tools.{{Cite news |url=https://www.dualshockers.com/hytale-interview-hypixel-studios-pc-beta/ |title=Hytale Interview - Hypixel Studios Talk Modding, Post-Launch Plans, and Minecraft Origins |last=Walker |first=Ben |date=11 February 2019 |work=DualShockers |access-date=20 September 2019 |archive-date=12 February 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190212023822/https://www.dualshockers.com/hytale-interview-hypixel-studios-pc-beta/ |url-status=live}}{{Cite news |url=https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/08/21/cosplay-as-a-cat-and-more-with-hytales-mod-tools/ |title=Cosplay as a cat and more with Hytale's mod tools |last=Pearson |first=Craig |date=21 August 2019 |work=Rock, Paper, Shotgun |access-date=20 September 2019 |archive-date=14 September 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190914020952/https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/08/21/cosplay-as-a-cat-and-more-with-hytales-mod-tools/ |url-status=live}}
Hytale would have featured several procedurally-generated areas of the world known as "zones" made up of many biomes and mobs.{{Cite news |url=https://www.northernirelandscreen.co.uk/news/hypixels-hytale-nominated-wanted-game-award/ |title=Hypixel's Hytale nominated for Most Wanted Game Award |date=25 September 2019 |work=Northern Ireland Screen |access-date=3 November 2019 |language=en |archive-date=3 November 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191103025100/https://www.northernirelandscreen.co.uk/news/hypixels-hytale-nominated-wanted-game-award/ |url-status=live}} This mode was planned to have RPG-styled combat with dungeon exploration and dynamic boss encounters. Hytale would have featured block-based construction and include many different world editing and cinematic tools players can use in-game. It was also planned to feature a scripting system that would allow players to write code in-game, as well as a modeling and animation toolkit based on CraftStudio which would be used to create custom assets. The game was planned to feature both official and community-run servers.
Development
Development of Hytale began in early 2015.{{citation |title=Hytale is a brand new game from giants of the Minecraft community, backed by Riot |date=13 December 2018 |website=Eurogamer |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2018-12-13-hytale-is-a-brand-new-game-from-giants-of-the-minecraft-community |access-date=2019-11-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181213213635/https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2018-12-13-hytale-is-a-brand-new-game-from-giants-of-the-minecraft-community |archive-date=2018-12-13 |url-status=live}} The game was being developed by Hypixel Studios for PC, consoles, and mobile devices.{{cite web |title=Game developer Riot Games acquires Hypixel Studios |url=https://www.spglobal.com/marketintelligence/en/news-insights/latest-news-headlines/game-developer-riot-games-acquires-hypixel-studios-58080844 |website=www.spglobal.com |publisher=S&P Global |language=en-us |access-date=2021-02-19 |archive-date=2021-04-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210423234754/https://www.spglobal.com/marketintelligence/en/news-insights/latest-news-headlines/game-developer-riot-games-acquires-hypixel-studios-58080844 |url-status=live}}{{cite web |author1=Hytale Team |title=Summer 2021 Development Update |url=https://hytale.com/news/2021/7/summer-2021-development-update |website=hytale.com |access-date=1 July 2021 |archive-date=1 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210701160214/https://hytale.com/news/2021/7/summer-2021-development-update |url-status=live}} The client was initially developed in C# with the server technology in Java,{{Cite web |title=An overview of Hytale's server technology |url=https://hytale.com/news/2019/1/an-overview-of-hytales-server-technology |access-date=2022-05-24 |website=Hytale |language=en |archive-date=2022-05-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220521113359/https://hytale.com/news/2019/1/an-overview-of-hytales-server-technology |url-status=live}} but both the client and server were rewritten in C++ in 2022.{{cite web | url=https://hytale.com/news/2022/7/summer-2022-development-update | title=Summer 2022 Development Update | work=hytale.com | date=July 22, 2022 | accessdate=2022-07-22 | archive-date=2022-09-28 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220928183357/https://hytale.com/news/2022/7/summer-2022-development-update | url-status=live}} The game was being directed by Aaron Donaghey of Hypixel Studios, a indie game based in Northern Ireland of over forty employees who split off from Hypixel Inc., the company behind the Hypixel server in Minecraft.{{cite news |last1=Cartmill |first1=Claire |title=Videogame developer Hypixel Studios to set up NI headquarters |url=https://www.newsletter.co.uk/business/videogame-developer-hypixel-studios-set-ni-headquarters-2543414 |access-date=2 August 2020 |work=News Letter |date=21 April 2020 |language=en |archive-date=14 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210114130619/https://www.newsletter.co.uk/business/videogame-developer-hypixel-studios-set-ni-headquarters-2543414 |url-status=live}}{{Cite web |title=Our team |url=https://hypixelstudios.com/our-team |access-date=2022-07-21 |website=Hypixel Studios |language=en |archive-date=2022-07-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220721163137/https://hypixelstudios.com/our-team |url-status=live}}{{Cite web |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2018-12-13-hytale-is-a-brand-new-game-from-giants-of-the-minecraft-community |title=Hytale is a brand new game from giants of the Minecraft community, backed by Riot |last=Phillips |first=Tom |date=13 December 2018 |website=Eurogamer |df=dmy-all |access-date=2019-11-03 |archive-date=2018-12-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181213213635/https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2018-12-13-hytale-is-a-brand-new-game-from-giants-of-the-minecraft-community |url-status=live}} The idea for Hytale arose due to EULA changes by Mojang in 2014 which blocked servers from having microtransactions that affected gameplay, leading to an 85% drop in the Hypixel server's revenue.{{Cite news |url=https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/12/20/hytale-is-a-minecraft-follow-up-that-remembers-the-minigames/ |title=Hytale is a Minecraft follow-up that remembers the Minigames |date=20 December 2018 |access-date=29 November 2019 |website=RockPaperShotgun |archive-date=18 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201218130853/https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/12/20/hytale-is-a-minecraft-follow-up-that-remembers-the-minigames/ |url-status=live}}{{Citation |title=Hytale is a brand new game from giants of the Minecraft community, backed by Riot |date=13 December 2018 |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2018-12-13-hytale-is-a-brand-new-game-from-giants-of-the-minecraft-community |work=Eurogamer |access-date=2019-11-03 |archive-date=2018-12-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181213213635/https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2018-12-13-hytale-is-a-brand-new-game-from-giants-of-the-minecraft-community |url-status=live}} They originally wanted to avoid making a voxel-based game, but eventually decided to do so as they had experience in that genre from the Hypixel server in Minecraft.
Hypixel Studios was at first self-financed with revenue generated by the Hypixel server. The studio subsequently received support from Riot Games, which invested several million dollars in the studio,{{Cite web |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/riot-games-leads-investment-hypixel-game-studio-1168889 |title=Riot Games Leads Investment in Hypixel Game Studio |last=Jarvey |first=Natalie |date=13 Dec 2018 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |access-date=14 Dec 2018 |df=dmy-all |archive-date=21 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181221000646/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/riot-games-leads-investment-hypixel-game-studio-1168889 |url-status=live}}{{Cite web |url=https://variety.com/2018/gaming/news/hypixel-studios-reveals-hytale-1203089201/ |title=Creators of Popular 'Minecraft' Server Announce New Game 'Hytale' |last=Fogel |first=Stefanie |date=13 December 2018 |website=Variety |language=en |access-date=15 December 2018 |df=dmy-all |archive-date=15 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181215022409/https://variety.com/2018/gaming/news/hypixel-studios-reveals-hytale-1203089201/ |url-status=live}}{{Cite web |url=https://venturebeat.com/2018/12/13/beware-minecraft-and-roblox-here-comes-the-blocky-world-of-hytale/ |title=Beware, Minecraft and Roblox. Here comes the blocky world of Hytale |last=Takahashi |first=Dean |date=13 December 2018 |website=VentureBeat |access-date=15 December 2018 |archive-date=23 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220523161151/https://venturebeat.com/2018/12/13/beware-minecraft-and-roblox-here-comes-the-blocky-world-of-hytale/ |url-status=live}}{{Cite web |url=https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/12/13/hypixels-riot-backed-hytale-announced/ |title=Hytale is a blocky sandbox RPG spawned from a massive Minecraft server |last=Tarason |first=Dominic |date=Dec 13, 2018 |website=Rock, Paper, Shotgun |access-date=Dec 17, 2018 |df=dmy-all |archive-date=December 13, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181213235008/https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/12/13/hypixels-riot-backed-hytale-announced/ |url-status=live}} along with an advisory group that included businessmen Dennis Fong, Rob Pardo, and Peter Levine. The studio was fully acquired by Riot Games in April 2020.{{Cite web | url = https://www.theverge.com/2020/4/16/21223667/riot-games-league-of-legends-hypixel-studios-minecraft-hytale | title = Riot continues to expand beyond League by acquiring studio behind Minecraft-like game | first = Andrew | last = Webster | date = 16 April 2020 | access-date = 16 April 2020 | work = The Verge | archive-date = 16 April 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200416203617/https://www.theverge.com/2020/4/16/21223667/riot-games-league-of-legends-hypixel-studios-minecraft-hytale | url-status = live}} Hytale was announced in December 2018, with the trailer amassing over 31 million views within a month.{{Cite web |first=Tyler |last=Fischer |title=First Trailer of 'Minecraft' Inspired Game 'Hytale' Has 31 Million Views In Less Than 30 Days |date=12 January 2019 |url=https://comicbook.com/gaming/2019/01/12/hytale-trailer-minecraft-pc/ |work=ComicBook.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200409210734/https://comicbook.com/gaming/2019/01/12/hytale-trailer-minecraft-pc/ |archive-date=9 April 2020 |url-status=live}}
The game, originally intended to be playable in 2021, was delayed several times due to the game's scope increasing.{{cite web|first1=Dustin|last1=Bailey|title=After 8 years, the Minecraft-inspired Hytale is still in the prototyping phase, and fans are running out of patience|url=https://www.gamesradar.com/after-8-years-the-minecraft-inspired-hytale-is-still-in-the-prototyping-phase-and-fans-are-running-out-of-patience/|work=GamesRadar+|date=1 December 2023|access-date=23 April 2024}} In July 2024, Hytale's developers reported that the game was being migrated to a new engine, a process that was expected to be complete by the end of the year.{{cite web |last=Jones |first=Ali |url=https://www.gamesradar.com/games/rpg/9-years-into-development-one-time-minecraft-challenger-hytale-is-checking-that-its-new-engine-can-actually-run-its-own-game/ |title=9 years into development, one-time Minecraft challenger Hytale is checking that its new engine can actually run its own game |work=GamesRadar+ |date=30 July 2024 |access-date=8 January 2025}} On June 23, 2025, after over 10 years of development, Donaghey announced its cancellation and closure of Hypixel Studios, citing its overly ambitious nature and lack of remaining investment.{{Cite web |title=A Difficult Update About Hytale |url=https://hytale.com/news/2025/6/a-difficult-update-about-hytale |access-date=2025-06-23 |website=Hytale |language=en}}
Reception
Hytale was nominated in the Most Wanted Game category at the 2019 Golden Joystick Awards but lost to Cyberpunk 2077.{{Cite magazine |url=https://www.gamesradar.com/goldenjoystickawards/#most-wanted-game |title=Golden Joysticks Awards 2019 |magazine=Games Radar |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191017181838/https://www.gamesradar.com/goldenjoystickawards/#most-wanted-game |archive-date=2019-10-17 |df=dmy-all}} The game was also named the most anticipated at the 2021 Northern Ireland Game Awards.{{Cite web |url=https://www.northernirelandscreen.co.uk/news/interactive-content/ni-game-awards-2021-winners/ |title=NI GAME AWARDS 2021: WINNERS |website=Northern Island Screen |date=9 March 2021 |access-date=31 May 2022 |archive-date=24 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220924010502/https://www.northernirelandscreen.co.uk/news/interactive-content/ni-game-awards-2021-winners/ |url-status=live}} In 2022, Hytale was recognized as the "Best Upcoming Game" at the Indie Game Awards.{{Cite web |url=https://www.indiegamesawards.com/2022/winners/ |title=Indie Game Awards 2022 Winners |website=Indie Games Awards |date=15 November 2022 |access-date=18 July 2024 |archive-date=20 November 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221120001502/https://www.indiegamesawards.com/2022/winners/ |url-status=live}}
References
{{reflist}}