Hytale Launches for PC in Early Access on January 13, 2026

by
William D’Angelo
, posted 8 hours ago / 1,649 Views

Hypixel Studios has announced Hytale will launch for PC in Early Access on January 13, 2026 with the ability to pre-purchase opening on December 13.

This follows several months of uncertainty for the game as Riot Games had cancelled the game and shut down the developer. Hypixel founder Simon Collins-Laflamme earlier this month announced it had acquired the game and the studio from Riot Games.

The founder has since hired 40 former and new team members, to bring the total size to 50 employees.

Read the announcement post below:

Two weeks ago, we, the original founders, repurchased Hytale, months after it was cancelled. We revived the project, and we are returning to a four-year-old legacy build that had been abandoned. We are personally committing funding for many years to come.

We stepped away from the newer engine, which was intended to be a complete cross-platform rewrite, and we are now focused on reviving the original version. This required picking, choosing, and merging more than 300 GitHub branches into a single working branch. It was a significant engineering effort, but we’re now confident enough to launch early access.

Hytale and Hypixel Studios are independent again, and we are returning to the original vision from the 2018 trailer. Because we went back to an older game build that was now meant for prototypes, some parts of the game will feel behind, but momentum is strong, and we’re working fast to make this into the game we all dreamed of.

Modding and creative tools are in a decent state; however, they’re not where we want them long term. That being said, they’re ready for players who want to create content on day 1. This is a good moment for modders, server owners, and creators to step in early! They will play a significant role in Hytale’s future.

Since the cancellation, we’ve rehired more than 40 former and new team members, bringing the total to 50. Reacquiring a game from a AAA studio and preparing an early access launch within weeks is rare, and players will be able to watch the progress as it happens.

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 first impression will be rough, but the path ahead matters more. More details are coming soon. Follow our social channels for updates, and we hope to see you on January 13, 2026.

Thank you, everyone, for your support. Hytale has been through a long journey, and soon, we will be home.

~ Simon and the entire Hytale team

A life-long and avid gamer, William D’Angelo was first introduced to VGChartz in 2007. After years of supporting the site, he was brought on in 2010 as a junior analyst, working his way up to lead analyst in 2012 and taking over the hardware estimates in 2017. He has expanded his involvement in the gaming community by producing content on his own YouTube channel and Twitch channel. You can follow the author on Bluesky.

More Articles