Hypixel acquires Hytale back from Riot Games
Hypixel, the developer of sandbox title Hytale, has acquired the game's license back from Riot Games months after the studio was shut down and development was canceled.
Announced yesterday via the game's official site, Hypixel co-founder Simon Collins-Laflamme called it a "new and exciting chapter" for Hytale, which has been in development for around a decade.
"While it didn't make sense for them to continue developing it in its existing form, they ultimately wanted what's best for players, and that's for us to eventually play a revised version of the game," the co-founder wrote. "We are grateful to Riot Games for making this possible."
For context, Riot acquired Hypixel Studios back in April 2020 for an undisclosed fee. Back then, the title was due out in 2021, and it had accrued 2.5 million signees for an upcoming beta. Previously, Riot had supported Hypixel as an angel investor when the studio was founded back in 2018.
The acquisition, according to the studio, meant access to a bigger budget for Hytale, as well as "more security" for the team and "advisory support" from a company like Riot.
That was until June of this year, when Hypixel announced it was shutting down operations and ending development on Hytale. "After years of pushing forward, adapting, and exploring every possible path, it became clear we couldnt bring Hytale to life in a way that truly delivered on its promise," reads a post on the Hypixel website.
In addition, Hypixel said that Riot provided "generous severance," as well as support in looking for investors or acquirers to help carry Hytale forward. Now, according to yesterday's announcement, Hypixel made an offer to Riot and "secured funding" to return to the legacy engine and original vision of the game.
Hypixel's funding for 'the next 10 years'While the studio hasn't disclosed full details about funding, Collins-Laflamme said both he and co-founder Philippe Touchette are "personally committing funding for the next 10 years." Moreover, the announcement states that there are "no investors or publishers" involved in the roadmap.
Looking ahead, the studio wants to keep Hytale's development "agile and flexible," trying to avoid promises the team can't keep. Hypixel plans to announce an early access date in the coming days, aiming for Windows as the main platform at launch, and it's expected to last "at least a few years." Said launch will include exploration mode, creative mode, and modding support, while adventure mode and minigames will both be available at a later date, the latter being worked on by a dedicated team.
Speaking of which, the current team is composed of co-founders Collins-Falamme and Touchette, as well as technical lead Kevin Carstens and management lead Patrick Derbic. Hypixel has also rehired over 30 former developers who previously worked on Hytale, and plans to continue hiring "as the budget allows" and as the team finds the right candidates.
"Hytale has had a long and challenging journey. It's taken longer than anyone hoped, and it's changed a lot along the way," reads a closing statement from the team in the announcement. "But here we are: starting over with a 4-year-old build, a small dedicated team, a community that refused to give up, and a vision that's aligned with a new reality. This is not going to be easy. This is not going to be fast. This is not going to be perfect. But it's going to be ours. Built together: one feature at a time, one bug fix at a time, one mod at a time."
Hypixel began work on Hytale after the development team found success with an independent Minecraft server that attracted a large community of players. As noted by The Hollywood Reporter in 2018, the Hypixel team subsequently sought to pivot from successful mod-maker to full-fledged video game studio.
They managed to do precisely that with an initial investment from Riot in 2016. At the time, Riot boss Dylan Jadeja said he was "blown away" by the studio's vision for the "future of sandbox gaming."
