Riot's canceled Minecraft rival Hytale has a sliver of hope from former founder

The co-founder of Minecraft server Hypixel, and later the development studio of the same name, confirms he "will reach out" to Riot Games about the potential of finishing its recently canceled sandbox game Hytale. Simon Collins-Laflamme, who sold Hypixel Studio to the League of Legends and Valorant developer in 2020, previously hypothesized that he would be "down to put [in] $25 million by myself" to get the project finished, but cautions that he believes the chances of it making a return "are next to impossible."

With a blocky aesthetic reminiscent of Minecraft, a studio born from one of the most popular Minecraft servers, and the backing of Riot Games, Hytale seemed set to claim a place alongside our best sandbox games. Unfortunately, on Monday June 23, Hypixel Studios confirmed that Riot Games was ending development of the project, and that it was "beginning the process of winding down Hypixel Studios over the next few months."

The announcement explains that, despite a major engine reboot, "the team found that Hytale still wasn't as far along as it needed to be." Options such as reducing scope or adjusting timelines "would have meant compromising on what made Hytale special in the first place," it continues. "It wouldn't have been the game we set out to make. And it wouldn't have been the game you deserve."

Now, however, Collins-Laflamme offers the slightest sliver of hope. Initially, he stated that he was reluctant to take on the responsibility of returning to the project, especially given its larger scope and team size in recent years. "I'm living a good, peaceful life," he remarked. However, in response to continued questioning, he then said, "I am even down to put [in] $25 million USD by myself to finish Hytale, that's how much I believe in it," but emphasized that he had taken no action in this direction.

Two days on from that contemplation, Collins-Laflamme says he's now come to a conclusion. "Yes, I made the decision, I will give my best to save Hytale. Even if it's a 1% chance. It's the least I can do to the same community that gave me the opportunity to be where I am today." He says he will reach out to the involved parties, but warns, "This is important; keep your expectations extremely low because usually when large companies shut down a project like this the chances of revival are next to impossible."

With that in mind, don't suddenly get your hopes up for a full-scale revitalization, or even a guaranteed return in any form. The intent, however, is there. "Remember it will take a while, give it some time," Collins-Laflamme concludes. "It will take months to get answers and months to get done. I will share as much as possible as I go through the process."

For now, you can try another of the best building games on PC, or see if you've missed any big additions to our pick of the best Minecraft mods in 2025.

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