Hytale founder has "good news" in quest to save Riot's canceled sandbox game

I'm always one to err on the side of caution, but rumblings that Riot's canceled sandbox game Hytale might be making a shock return have reached the all-or-nothing stage, and I'm watching with extreme interest. Built by Hypixel Studios, a team founded by the creators of a network of incredibly popular Minecraft servers, Hytale was picked up by the League of Legends developer in April 2020, but was then shut down in June this year following a long, troubled development. Now, however, Hypixel co-founder Simon Collins-Laflamme shares "good news" in the fight to bring it back to life.

Collins-Laflamme, who sold Hypixel Studios and Hytale to Riot Games back in 2020, decided to make a concerted effort to save its development. "Even if it's a 1% chance, it's the least I can do for the same community that gave me the opportunity to be where I am today," he explained at the time. So could we actually be seeing a comeback for the project, which was at one time shaping up to be among the best sandbox games on PC? In a new update, Collins-Laflamme confirms that he is now "in active discussions with Riot Games about acquiring Hytale."

One day prior to this announcement, Collins-Laflamme revealed that he had "Just made my final counter offer, the only chance to see Hytale. I'm going all in. This is the timeline. Let's fucking go." He adds that "The offer is 10x what the true market value is," and cautions that there's a lot of work to be done. "They have no team, no-one can even start or compile the game anymore. I hired most who could and will continue to do so in the coming days. Hytale is by the players, for the players."

In response to a tweet asking for clarification about the discussions, Collins-Laflamme writes, "It's good news! I should have worded the post better." Responding to questions from other people, he calls the move "a bad financial decision," but says, "I need 100% control if I do this. That way no-one can stop me from releasing an early access version." Previously, he has stated that he wants an initial launch for Hytale featuring survival and/or creative modes to help secure funding for the rest of the project.

Elsewhere, Collins-Laflamme comments, "Some people buy small-town movie theaters knowing they'll probably lose money, but they like the idea of running a cinema. Some others buy old arcades or retro game shops. These are usually passion projects that might not turn a big profit, but they're worth it for the personal enjoyment. This is how I see Hytale going forward."

While we wait to see how the discussions pan out, you can take a look through our pick of the best indie games in 2025 for plenty more options. Fancy taking things on the go? We've judged the best gaming handheld you can get right now.

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