The thought-lost Hytale project has arisen. Hypixel Studios has resumed work on the upcoming sandbox game, and it’s drawing plenty of comparisons to Minecraft. If you’re unsure of what the game is and why people are so excited, this guide has a full explainer for you.
Hytale was officially canceled in mid-2025 after 10 years of development. The title’s complexity was deemed one of the main factors in the game (and Hypel Studios) closure. There were also suggestions that the ‘issues were all internal’.
However, merely months later, Hytale was brought back to life by founder, Simon Collins-Laflamme.
Here we are in late 2025 with Hytale about to enter early access, and many still don’t know what it is.
What Is Hytale?
Hytale is a sandbox game that allows you to create, build, and explore a procedurally generated world.
From its blocky art style to the ability to uncover and unearth your innermost building skills, Hytale bears resemblance to another popular sandbox game (more on this later), but has more than enough of its own nuances to stand out.
Hytale was initially devised as a Hypixel server in Minecraft. After the spin-off server’s revenue potential was stunted by Mojang-enforced EULA changes in 2014, the idea was coined to make Hytale a standalone game.
Here’s how the official Hytale website describes the game:
“Hytale blends the freedom of a sandbox with the momentum of an RPG: explore a procedurally generated world full of dungeons, secrets, and a variety of creatures, then shape it block by block. Our Early Access release focuses on polished core systems – exploration, responsive combat, and robust building – alongside creator‑first tools for making your own content, crafting minigames, and running community servers.
Is Hytale An MMO?
Yes, Hytale is described as an MMO (Massively Multiplayer Online) game as players will be able to interact and share the same game space in servers.
In the developer’s words: “Why not invite a friend or two to share the experience and leave a mark on the world together?”
The game features player-run servers and encourages the Hytale community to bond and come together. It’s unclear how many people can be in one server at a time, but make no mistake that the MMO aspect is real.
Is Hytale Like Minecraft?
Despite being developed as a Minecraft server within Minecraft, meaning it is like the game, to an extent, Hytale is its own game, and doesn’t claim to be like Minecraft.
The Minecraft comparison feels obvious at first glance. However, once you watch the Hytale gameplay and understand the devs’ vision, it might be more appropriate to describe it as ‘the next Minecraft.’
An emphasis on variety with creation tools, mini-games, and the encouragement to share worlds and have players in your server is a big part of Hytale’s identity. The combat is more extensive, and it leans further into RPG elements.
You should check out a 16-minute gameplay trailer to see it for yourself.
You better believe that Hytale will be very popular once it hits early access. We’ve not got there yet, and announcements have already revealed plans for proximity chat and Multiplayer ‘Portals’.
Are you excited for Hytale? How much of Minecraft’s success can it capture? Let the people know what you think of Hytale through the Insider Gaming Discord Server.
Don’t forget to read about Hytale’s Price Revealed Ahead of Early Access Release and the Modding Strategy That Will Make The Game Easier For Players to Access.
Andy is Insider Gaming's Senior Evergreen Editor and has been in the games journalism sphere in one way or another for over 7 years. His video game taste is as…
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