'Hytale' Developer Announces The Game Will Not Arrive On Steam Over Fear Of Negative Reviews From Uninformed Players

Hypixel Studios, the developer of Hytale, announced that the game will not arrive on Steam over fears of negative from uninformed players.

Hytale is described as a game that “blends the freedom of a sandbox with the momentum of an RPG” that allows players to “explore a procedurally generated world full of dungeons, secrets, and a variety of creatures, then shape it block by block.”

In a recent FAQ published by the developers, Hypixel Studios, and specifically Executive Director Patrick “Lyall” Derbic, he explained why the game will not arrive on Steam:

We want to spend our time in Early Access working with the community and improving the game, rather than overindexing on negative reviews from players that aren’t as well-informed yet about what we are doing. Steam is a great marketing tool but one that we might never need. This doesn’t mean we will never be on Steam - just that we do not see the necessity of it yet.

Not only will the game not be on Steam, but it will also not be getting a console release as it heads to Early Access albeit he did reveal that the company is planning one at a later stage.

Additionally, it will not receive a mobile version, but the team is “evaluating what it would take to make this a feasible reality and will keep you updated once we know more.”

The game was announced back in December 2018 after originally being started on the Hypixel Minecraft server back in 2015.

The game was originally supposed to release in 2021 with Hypixel sharing in a blog post in 2019, “We’re planning for Hytale to be playable by everyone in 2021.”

Obviously, it did not meet that target. However, the game was purchased by Riot Games in 2020, but Riot eventually canceled the game in June of this year with Hypixel Studios co-founder Noxy sharing, “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 November, Riot sold the game back to original founder Simon Collins-Laflamme, who shared, “We are going back to the original vision for Hytale. We are fully independent and personally committed to funding Hytale for the next 10 years.”

In an update at the end of November announcing the company’s Early Access launch on January 13, 2026, it revealed that it “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.”

The company also reiterated, “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.”

The game’s standard edition will be able to purchase for $19.99 when pre-purchases begin on December 13th.

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