Hytale has had a rough go of it, but things are finally looking up. It looked like curtains when Riot canceled the game after seven turbulent years in development, but earlier this month the original owner bought the game back in hopes of realizing the "original vision" that predates Riot's involvement. Developer Hypixel has been moving quickly, showing off new gameplay a single day after the buyback, and now, announcing its early access release date: January 13, 2026.
The announcement, like the last few bits of news from the developer, comes with a warning to manage your expectations. Before releasing that gameplay footage it showed off, the studio clarified it was "raw and broken," and when a $20 price tag was announced, CEO Simon Collins-Laflamme said he was pricing it as low as was feasible because he didn't "think the game is good yet."
