In June 2025, Riot Games canceled Hytale and closed down Hypixel Studios, marking the end of the dreams of Minecraft fans worldwide. Hytale, the chief Hypixel project, had been in development for ten years, but it was cited as being ‘overly ambitious’ and failed to hit quality expectations, and was wiped from the slate by Riot Games.
Four months later, in November, Simon Collins-Laflamme, the founder of Hypixel, acquired the Hytale IP from Riot Games and brought back to the grind to make the game a reality.
Hytale entered early access yesterday, and Riot Games was quick to praise the game’s launch in a move that some have dubbed ‘ironic at best.’
Hytale Skyrockets Despite Earlier Cancelation
Hytale was never supposed to see the light of day after it was canceled by Riot Games a little over six months ago. The game was deemed past the point of saving, and Riot shut the project down after suggesting it was unsustainable and too costly to push on with.
Yesterday, that all changed as Hytale hit the early access launch window many believed would never come.
Hytale skyrocketed up the charts, hitting a peak viewer count on Twitch of 440,000 users, numbers comparable to the launch of an AAA game. It’s not without its flaws, but it’s already being appreciated by those who spent years following the game’s development.
In a post on social media, Riot Games, which decimated Hytale mere months ago, congratulated the early access launch:
Congrats on early access 👊
In response, the Hytale team commented: ‘Thank you for helping bring Hytale home.’
But fans were quick to criticize the situation:
- ‘This is like thanking your captor for beating you up.’
- ‘Hytale exists in spite of Riot, not because of them.’
- ‘Genuinely, how did they help lmao’
Perhaps Riot Games is kicking itself for canceling what is now being regarded as one of the biggest indie releases of the last few years.
Let us know on the Insider Gaming Discord server if you’re playing (and enjoying) Hytale.
For more Insider Gaming coverage, check out the news that a new Tarkov update has changed the Zubr seats again
Grant has been gaming for 30+ years and in the industry for 10+. You'll probably find him playing a post-apocalyptic game or an extraction shooter somewhere.
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