After a fairytale rescue, Minecraft rival Hytale sets "aggressively low" price as it isn't "waiting for perfection"

The Hytale price has been confirmed, as rejuvenated developer Hypixel Studios prepares to bring back the long-anticipated sandbox game after its cancelation in June by Riot Games. In a year where a lot of gaming news is downcast - including the developer's recent shutdown - the return of Hytale promises to be a bright spark. Hypixel, a reincarnation of a team founded by the creators of some of the best Minecraft servers, is now preparing to launch it sooner rather than later, with the emphasis on building it alongside the community.

Having finally confirmed that he was able to repurchase the Hytale rights from Riot, studio cofounder Simon Collins-Laflamme has been wasting no time in capitalizing on that momentum. He's also been clear that it's a passion project first, something he considered "the least I can do" for the community that put him in the position to sell to Riot in the first place. "I'm not going to recoup what I put into this for a long time, even with all the renewed attention, and that's fine," he remarks. "Don't worry about me, let's take care of the team first."

Now, we know what that price point is. "Hytale will be $19.99 (USD)," the developer writes via social media platforms. "If you wish to support the team and Hytale's development, we will be offering a supporter and founders pack that offers cosmetics like capes, hats, and more." An accompanying image, which you can find below, shows that you can expect to pay $34.99 for the 'Supporter' tier, and $69.99 for the 'Cursebreaker' founders pack.

"I'm pricing Hytale as aggressively low as possible," Collins-Laflamme explains. "I'm taking on a considerable personal risk after repurchasing the game and getting it ready for early access for a growing team of now 50 talented individuals. I said I was all in, and I am delivering on that promise.

"The game is unfinished and runs on a build from over four years ago," he continues. "Charging more didn't feel right. I don't think the game is good yet. My team and I will push hard to make it good, then great. The vision is clear and progress is fast. I want as many players as possible to jump in. Times are tough in the current economy for a lot of you, and I want everyone to have a fair chance to be part of what comes next. Thank you for the support."

As for when we can play it, Collins-Laflamme says the team is working on locking down the Hytale release date as soon as possible. "We currently need to run hardware tests, wrap up legal docs, stabilize the game, and fix a few security issues," he writes. "I'll have a precise order by the end of next week. Pre-orders, name reservation, and account creation will begin [then] as well."

Speaking to the modding community, technical director Kevin 'Slikey' Carstens adds that the Hytale team decided to "ship [the game] now instead of waiting for perfection. We chose to fix up what we reasonably could in the short time we've had with the project, and then open things up so you can start experimenting while we work toward the long-term modding vision." Collins-Laflamme has stated that "Hytale will take 0% from modders and server owners for at least the first two years. We will trust that they bring us players; that is all."