Riot cancels Hytale development and shuts down Hypixel Studios

The development of Hytale has been canceled and Hypixel Studios will be shut down over the coming months, the developer announced. Founded by modders in 2018, the company aimed for the stars in the form of a Minecraft competitor, but repeated development setbacks kept the game from coming out even after the studio’s acquisition by Riot Games in 2020 and the boost of financial resources it brought.

“We’re ending development on Hytale and beginning the process of winding down Hypixel Studios over the next few months,” the announcement of the cancellation stated. “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.”

In the statement, the studio explained that the technical ambitions and scope of the game grew ever larger and more complex so that even the major reboot of the game engine wasn’t enough to satisfy them.

“We looked at reducing scope, adjusting timelines, and finding new angles to keep moving forward. 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,” the statement added.

Riot has been cutting back on its investments in publishing and development outside of its core niche in recent years, which included large-scale layoffs. Incidentally, Hytale wasn’t the only title at Riot Games stuck in development hell: Its MMORPG has been in a similar position over the last couple of years. For the moment, though, the project appears to be safe from cuts.

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