Hytale has surpassed 20 million mod downloads in Early Access and is marking the milestone with a massive $100,000 modding competition in partnership with CurseForge.
“Games thrive long-term because of their communities, and Hytale’s creators have already shown us that since launching into Early Access.” Simon Collins-Laflamme, Hypixel Studios CEO, said. “Hypixel Studios is putting $100,000 behind this contest as a first step toward something much bigger to recognize and reward the people shaping Hytale’s future.”
The Hytale New Worlds Modding Contest will reward 65 winners across three main categories, alongside additional community prizes and mid-event cash drops. The competition aims to accelerate creativity within the sandbox RPG’s rapidly expanding mod ecosystem, which has already produced more than 5,000 mods since Early Access began on Jan. 13, 2026.
Hytale New Worlds Modding Contest features $100,000 prize pool across three categories
The Hytale New Worlds Modding has three main categories, which allow modders to showcase their expertise in world-building, NPCs, and gameplay systems to make the game even more nuanced for the community. Each of these contests features a $27,000 prize pool, which gets divided among the winners based on their positions:
- 1st place: $10,000
- 2nd place: $7,500
- 3rd place: $2,500
- 4th to 10th place: $1,000 each
Here is what creators can build for each category to win prizes in the Hytale New Worlds Modding Contest, 2026:
WorldGen V2: Modders can use the visual node editor to craft fully generated biomes, regions, or themed zones. Modders should focus on making a strong environmental identity, memorable landmarks, and rewarding exploration in their creations to win the prize.
NPCs: Creators are encouraged to design or overhaul critters, enemies, and boss encounters. The focus is on memorable behavior and creative use of the asset configuration system.
Experiences: This event invites full gameplay overhauls, including adventure maps, minigames, hard modes, and deep progression systems such as skill trees or crafting reworks. PvP and multiplayer entries are also eligible.
Hytale New Worlds Modding Contest community voting and rewards
Once finalists are announced, players will vote across all entries to select five Community Favorites. Each winner will receive $2,000, awarding a total of $10,000 to creators chosen directly by the community.
There will also be three Mid Contest Drops throughout the submission period. Each drop rewards 10 qualifying creators with $300, unlocking an additional $9,000 in total prizes. These rolling incentives are designed to spotlight standout projects before final judging concludes.
Uri Marchand, CEO and Co-Founder, Overwolf, described the contest as a way to push creators to take World Gen, NPC systems, and gameplay experiences further than ever before.
With cash incentives, community voting, and structured competition across multiple disciplines, the New Worlds Modding Contest positions Hytale’s modding scene at the center of its Early Access roadmap. Creators interested in participating can find full details and submission guidelines on the official contest page via CurseForge.
Apart from modding, the developers are also paying bug hunters to find flaws in the game and get additional cash rewards for their hard work.
