Hytale Early Access Launch: Everything You Need to Know

After years of anticipation, Hytale officially launched into Early Access on January 13, 2026. The response has been overwhelming, with nearly 2.8 million concurrent players on launch day alone. Here is everything you need to know about the current state of Hytale and what is coming next.

The Road to Early Access

Hytale's journey to release has been anything but straightforward. Originally announced in 2018 by Hypixel Studios, the game was acquired by Riot Games and spent years in development. In June 2025, the project was cancelled.

Then came the twist nobody expected. On November 17, 2025, original founders Simon Collins-Laflamme and Philippe Touchette announced they had reacquired the Hytale IP from Riot Games. They reformed Hypixel Studios as an independent company, reassembled a team of 50+ developers, and shipped the game less than two months later.

The result speaks for itself. Hytale launched to critical acclaim, with reviewers praising its biome variety, NPC quality, and the depth of its building and combat systems.

What Is Available Right Now

Exploration Mode

The primary gameplay mode. You drop into an infinite, procedurally generated world and are free to explore, build, craft, fight, and survive. Key features include:

• Four distinct zones to explore, each with unique biomes, creatures, and resources
• Full crafting and building systems with hundreds of block types and items
• Skill-based combat with stamina management, dodge rolls, and Signature Abilities
• Farming and crop systems for sustainable food production
• Multiplayer support with PvP as an optional toggle

Creative Mode

Unrestricted access to every block, item, and entity in the game. No survival mechanics, no health loss, no resource gathering. Just pure creation. Creative Mode includes environmental controls for time of day, weather, and world settings.

The World of Orbis

Orbis is divided into four zones, each more challenging than the last:

Between the zones, expansive oceans with shallow reefs and deep abyssal trenches add another dimension of exploration.

Multiplayer and Server Hosting

Hytale's multiplayer infrastructure launched alongside the game. Players can host their own dedicated servers or use managed hosting providers. Key technical details:

• Protocol: QUIC over UDP
• Default port: 5520
• Server runtime: Java 25
• Minimum RAM: 4 GB (8 GB+ recommended for larger communities)
• Architectures: x64 and arm64

When you connect to a modded server, all custom content is streamed directly to your client during the connection process. No manual mod installation required.

Here at Hytale Den, we launched server listings and hosting alongside the game. You can browse community servers, check live player counts, and even spin up your own hosted server through our hosting page.

Modding From Day One

One of Hytale's biggest strengths is its modding support, available from launch. There are two types of mods:

• Plugins - Written in Java using the game's API. These run on the server and can add new gameplay mechanics, commands, and systems.
• Packs - Content packs for new blocks, mobs, items, and behaviors. These can be built using the Asset Editor tool, which supports visual editing plus Lua and JavaScript for custom logic.

Hypixel Studios has partnered with CurseForge for mod distribution. A dedicated Mod Workshop is expected to launch in March 2026, making it even easier to discover and install community creations.

The first Hytale Mod Jam has already concluded, with a $4,000 prize pool and impressive entries from the community.

What Is Coming Next

The development team is targeting 1-2 major updates per month, with weekly pre-release builds for testing. Here is what is on the horizon:

Update 3 (February 17, 2026)

Currently in pre-release testing, Update 3 brings:

• Taming system for friendly animal mobs (pet, milk, shear, or mount them)
• Custom map markers with names, icons, and colors (shareable in multiplayer)
• Sickles for mass crop harvesting
• Fire spread system for flammable structures
• Expanded avatar customization with 10 saveable presets, new eye shapes, makeup options, and haircuts

Confirmed for 2026

• Functional boats for water travel
• Flamethrowers as a new weapon type
• Dinosaurs as tameable creatures
• Friends list and in-game server browser
• Official minigames (Bed Wars, SkyWars-style modes confirmed in development)
• Mod Workshop on CurseForge (March 2026)

Adventure Mode (Coming Later)

The narrative-driven mode where players take on the role of the Cursebreaker, uncovering ancient curses plaguing Orbis. Adventure Mode will include story content delivered in chapters, deeper progression systems, and boss fights in procedural dungeons. Full 1.0 release is estimated for 2027-2028.

How to Get Started

Hytale Early Access is available on Windows PC for $19.99 (Standard Edition). A Supporter Edition ($34.99) and Cursebreaker Founders Pack ($69.99) are also available with cosmetic bonuses.

Once you are in the game:

1. Try Exploration Mode to experience the core gameplay loop
2. Hop into Multiplayer and browse servers on Hytale Den to find a community
3. Check out our Beginner's Guide for tips on finding and joining servers
4. If you want to host your own server, our Server Setup Guide walks you through every step

Welcome to the Early Access era. The adventure is just beginning.