Riot cancels sandbox RPG Hytale and closes its developer

Hytale

Hypixel Studio has announced they’re ending development of Hytale, their sandbox RPG they’ve had in development for nearly a decade.

Riot Games acquired Hypixel Studio back in 2020, though the developer had already been working on Hytale for a couple years when the game was officially announced in 2018.

Reasoning behind the game’s cancelation appear to be that it simply grew too complex and the team couldn’t see an end to its development.

“Today, I shared some incredibly tough news with the Hypixel Studios team: we’re ending development on Hytale and beginning the process of winding down Hypixel Studios over the next few months,” Hypixel co-founder Noxy said in an update. “This is not the outcome any of us – at Hypixel or at Riot – wanted. But after years of pushing forward, adapting, and exploring every possible path, it became clear we couldn’t bring Hytale to life in a way that truly delivered on its promise.”

Despite consistent funding and support from new parent company Riot Games, the game’s feature creep prevented them from hitting development milestones.

“Over time, as our vision evolved and the genre matured around us, the bar kept rising,” Noxy explained. “Our technical ambitions grew more complex, and even after a major reboot of the game engine, the team found that Hytale still wasn’t as far along as it needed to be. It became clear we’d need a lot more time to get it to a place where it could support the ambitious vision for the game.”

While the game was originally revealed in 2018, when the team was acquired by Riot in 2020 they hoped to release the game in 2021. This was delayed to 2023 and eventually it got pushed once again, indefinitely.

“We looked at reducing scope, adjusting timelines, and finding new angles to keep moving forward,” Noxy said. “But each of those options would have meant compromising on what made Hytale special in the first place. It wouldn’t have been the game we set out to make. And it wouldn’t have been the game you deserve.”

Noxy also said that the team still believes in Hytale, though it’s clear Riot couldn’t find “investors or acquirers who could continue to help carry Hytale forward.” As such, the game is being shut down and its team is closing shop too.

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