Last updated on December 17, 2025
Hytale is officially back from the brink: after being cancelled under Riot, Hypixel Studios has bought the game back and set an early access launch for January 13, 2026, with pre-orders opening on December 13, 2025.
From cancellation to comeback
For a long time, Hytale was the definition of “most wanted sandbox that may never actually release”. Years of teasers, silence and internal turbulence at Riot Games eventually led to the project being cancelled outright, leaving one of the most dedicated sandbox communities feeling like the story had ended for good. The announcement that Hytale is not only back in development but has a set release date feels almost unreal after that rollercoaster.
The turning point came when Hypixel’s original founders decided they were not done with the game. Simon Collins-Laflamme and partners managed to reacquire the Hytale IP and the Hypixel brand from Riot, re-forming Hypixel Studios as an independent team with a single goal: ship the game they promised years ago, even if that means taking on serious financial and production risk.
Hypixel has now locked in January 13, 2026 as the date Hytale enters early access on PC. The timing, right after the holiday period, is not accidental; the team has been open about how much of 2025 was consumed by negotiations, hiring people back and stabilizing development after the buyback. Still, seeing a concrete date attached to Hytale after nearly eight years of waiting and multiple reboots is exactly the kind of closure the community needed.
Excited players will not have to sit on their hands until launch day. Pre-orders open on December 13, 2025 through the official Hytale site, with different editions, cosmetic bonuses and guaranteed early access seats on offer. Hypixel even tells hesitant fans that if they are not comfortable pre-ordering, they should wait, underlining that this is not meant as a pressure tactic but as an option for those who genuinely want to support the project early.
A “true” early access, not a polished showcase
One of the most striking things about this comeback is how blunt Hypixel is about the state of the game. The team repeatedly stresses that early access will be messy: systems unfinished, balance off, bugs everywhere and major features still in active development. This is not a disguised full release with “early access” slapped on the store page; it is a work-in-progress build meant to evolve in public with the community’s help.
At launch, the focus will be on the core Hytale experience: exploration, adventure, building tools and the foundations of community servers. Creators, modders and server owners are being invited to jump in from day one, with the understanding that their feedback on bugs, content, systems and pacing will directly shape the roadmap over the coming years.
A fresh start for a stubbornly alive game
Hytale has already lived several lives: viral announcement, long silence, acquisition, cancellation, and now resurrection under its original creators. That history explains why the mood in the community is a mix of hype and cautious relief – this is less “new game reveal” and more “we finally made it to the next chapter”.
On January 13, players will finally be able to log into a public version of Hytale, even if it is rough around the edges. It will not be the polished, definitive form of the game, but it is the concrete first step fans have been asking for since 2018: Hytale, on its own terms, with the original team at the helm and a long, open road of development ahead.
