Reports from Game Developer indicate that Hypixel Studios has secured ownership of the Hytale intellectual property from Riot Games. This acquisition allows the project to resume development shortly after Riot halted operations and terminated it earlier this year.
In addition, the studio plans to bring back 30 employees who lost their jobs during the project's shutdown. Amid frequent news of job cuts in gaming, stories of rehiring provide a welcome change.
Simon Collins-Laflamme, co-founder of Hypixel, described the development as a fresh and promising phase for the title, which has been under creation for almost a decade. He expressed appreciation to Riot Games for enabling this opportunity.
Riot Games, a subsidiary of Tencent, acquired Hypixel Studios in 2020 for an unspecified amount. At the time, Hytale was generating significant buzz, with more than 2.5 million people signing up for its beta test and a planned launch in 2021.
Despite the passage of time, the game failed to materialize, ultimately resulting in Riot's full abandonment of the effort. A previous statement on the Hypixel site explained that, despite extensive efforts to advance, adjust, and pursue all options, achieving the game's full vision proved unfeasible.
Details on the financing for this acquisition remain undisclosed by the studio. However, Collins-Laflamme noted that the founders intend to provide personal support for the project's funding over the coming decade. The team anticipates revealing a date for early access soon.
In a company statement, they reflected that Hytale's path has been extended and difficult, evolving beyond initial expectations and timelines. They acknowledged that the process ahead will involve challenges, require patience, and include imperfections, yet it will be a collaborative effort, developed incrementally through features, fixes, and modifications.
Hytale, for those unfamiliar, is an engaging exploration title often compared to an expansive, action-oriented take on Minecraft. While sharing visual similarities with Minecraft, it places greater focus on combat and role-playing elements.