Hytale Early Access Launch Set for January 13

The developer of the sandbox game Hytale has issued a warning to fans ahead of the early access launch scheduled for January 13. Hypixel Studios expects the server capacity to be tested by a massive influx of users, predicting that over 1 million players will turn up for the release. Founder Simon Collins-Laflamme has utilized social media to call on the community to download the launcher on January 12 to help reduce launch-day stress.

This release marks a significant milestone following the reacquisition of the game's intellectual property rights from Riot Games. Development on the title had previously stagnated, but Collins-Laflamme has rehired dozens of developers to resurrect the project. While the founder has admitted that the game will feel unfinished and buggy during this early access phase, he has emphasized that the team is committed to rapid iteration and rebuilding the game according to the original 2018 vision.

The early access release of Hytale is set for January 13, and the developer is preparing for significant traffic. Hypixel Studios has stated it expects over 1 million players to attempt to access the game on launch day. To mitigate potential connectivity issues, the developer is asking the community to take proactive steps prior to the official release.

Simon Collins-Laflamme, the founder of Hypixel Studios, took to X (formerly Twitter) to address the community directly. He issued a specific request for players to download the game's launcher on January 12 and log in. The goal of this pre-launch activity is to "help us significantly reduce launch-day stress." The game has generated substantial interest over the years, with its initial 2018 trailer garnering 61 million views on YouTube, suggesting the developer's prediction of a massive turnout is plausible.

Hytale has undergone a complex development journey over the last several years. Riot Games acquired the game in 2020, but in November, the studio confirmed it had sold the rights back to Collins-Laflamme. Riot Games stated that after considering "a range of options," they determined that returning the IP rights gave players "the best chance to one day experience a revised version of the game they've been waiting for."

Following the return of the IP, Collins-Laflamme moved quickly to assemble a team. He confirmed that he had rehired more than 30 developers who had previously worked on the project. In a statement issued in November, the founder declared, "Hytale and Hypixel Studios are independent again, and we are returning to the original vision from the 2018 trailer." The team has since grown to 50 members, allowing the studio to prepare for an early access launch within weeks of reacquiring the game.

The transition back to independent development has revealed significant technical debt. Collins-Laflamme expressed "anger" regarding the state of the project after the cancellation of the previous iteration. He noted that four years of engineering had gone into rebuilding the engine rather than gameplay features, leaving the team with a "four-year gap" to make up for. The founder described the game as "barely playable" upon its return, stating that "basics were broken," including camera, movement, combat, and crafting.

Despite these challenges, the team has made rapid progress. Collins-Laflamme stated, "It should have taken years to fix, but within weeks, we got the game into a playable, fun state." He has been transparent about the current limitations of the game, specifically regarding modding and creative tools. While these tools are in a "decent state," they are not yet where the team wants them to be long-term. However, they are ready for day one usage. Collins-Laflamme issued a candid warning to potential players:

"If you don’t feel comfortable pre-ordering, please don’t. This is true early access, meaning it’s still very much unfinished and will be buggy for a while, but you have my and the team's commitment to make Hytale the game we’ve always wanted it to be."

The founder emphasized that the "first impression will be rough," but the long-term path is the priority. He has committed more money, time, and personal sacrifice to deliver on the game's potential.

The immediate future of Hytale relies heavily on community engagement and rapid development cycles. Collins-Laflamme has identified the loss of player feedback during the stalled development period as a major setback. The current strategy focuses on "gameplay first and rebuilding trust by actually shipping things at a rapid pace."

The developer is specifically calling on modders, server owners, and content creators to engage with the game immediately. The tools for creating content are available on day one, despite not being fully polished. The team views these creators as playing a "significant role in Hytale’s future." The roadmap involves years of work to make up for lost time, but the founder remains focused on execution.

Looking back at the project's origins, Hytale was born from the team behind Hypixel, one of the most influential Minecraft servers. The original vision combined the scope of a sandbox with the depth of a roleplaying game, featuring procedurally generated worlds and extensive modding support. With the team now independent and the original vision back in focus, the launch on January 13 represents the first step in a long journey to realize that original promise.