Hypixel Studios, the developer behind Hytale, has officially announced its closure after a long period of development struggles. CEO Aaron Donaghey explained this difficult decision.
Reasons for Hypixel Studios' Closure
CEO Aaron Donaghey stated that the decision to close was "painful" but unavoidable after years of development struggles. Donaghey noted, "After years of pushing forward, it became clear we couldn’t bring Hytale to life in a way that truly delivered on its promise."
History of Hytale Development
Hypixel Studios was founded in 2015 by the creators of a popular Minecraft server network, and immediately began developing Hytale, a sandbox game with building and RPG elements. A trailer for the game was released in 2018, which garnered over 60 million views. In 2020, the studio was acquired by Riot Games, which planned to launch a beta in 2021, but that release never materialized. In 2021, Hypixel decided to completely revamp Hytale’s game engine, resulting in significant delays.
Riot Games' Support and the Team's Future
Donaghey expressed gratitude to Riot Games for their support during Hytale's troubled development and throughout the studio's closure. He mentioned that Riot provided generous severance packages and resources for the team to find their next opportunities. "Game development is brutally hard, especially when you’re trying to build something original," Donaghey remarked. Despite the studio's closure, he emphasized that the team is proud of their achievements and will carry those lessons forward.
The closure of Hypixel Studios marks a significant event in the gaming industry, leaving behind a dedicated fanbase and an unpublished project, Hytale. Despite the end of this journey, the team hopes for future successes in the gaming world.
