This is one of the biggest recent turnarounds in the world of independent video games. Long considered the “next generation Minecraft”, Hytale generated massive enthusiasm from its first trailer in 2018, reaching more than 62 million views on YouTube. Purchased by Riot Games, then announced as canceled in June 2025, the project seemed definitively buried. Until his unexpected rebirth.
On January 13, 2026, Hytale returned to early access on PC, thanks to its co-founder Simon Collins-Laflamme, who bought the rights to restart development. On the eve of this global launch, the studio anticipates a massive influx of players, inviting the most impatient to prepare now to avoid any blockages at start-up.
Hytale has come a long way after a resounding cancellation
Developed by Hypixel Studios, Hytale has had a bumpy ride. Initially an ambitious independent project, the game was bought by Riot Games in 2020, which gave hope for a quick and well-financed release. But successive postponements, changes in direction and excessively high technical ambitions led to the official announcement of its cancellation in the summer of 2025. It was ultimately Simon Collins-Laflamme, historic co-founder of the studio, who relaunched the project last November. By taking back the reins of development, he promises a more direct approach, refocused on the expectations of the community.
Early Access: How to Download Hytale on PC
The early access release is now effective January 13, 2026. Be careful though: Hytale is not available on Steam or on the Epic Games Store. To play it, you have to go through the official website of the game, download the Windows launcher, then register and log in with a dedicated account.
The studio strongly recommends carrying out this step before launch, in order to avoid server saturation. “Dramatically reduce the stress of launch day,” Collins-Laflamme advises the community.
Massive success expected from day one
The enthusiasm around this return is palpable. The founder of Hypixel Studios is already forecasting record attendance from the first hours: “more than a million players on the day of the early access release”, according to his forecasts. Fans of sandboxes, open-world creativity and modular RPGs should find Hytale a refreshing alternative to Minecraft, with a more assertive artistic direction, an integrated story, mini-games and very in-depth customization.
A precise global timetable for the launch
The launch of Hytale is global, with precise times depending on the zones. For France (CET), the game is accessible from 4 p.m. Tuesday January 13. In New York, you have to wait until 10 a.m. (EST), and in Tokyo, it will be until 11 p.m. (JST). Australian players, for their part, will have to wait until January 14 at dawn. This early access release only concerns, for the moment, the Windows version. No console version is planned in the short term, and it will be necessary to follow the official announcements to find out if other platforms will be affected in the future.