What is Hytale all about? The Minecraft-like sandbox that is the talk of the gaming world

Few games in 2026 will receive the buzz that Hytale has received in the days after its early access release. 

The game that looked like it would never see the light of day has been revived by its original creator, Simon Collins-Laflamme, after he rebought the rights of the game from Riot Games in November 2025.

With the game reportedly achieving over 3 million players already, and being one of the most viewed games on Twitch just 48 hours after its release, the sandbox looks set to become a staple in the gaming scene.

What is the premise of Hytale?

Hytale perfectly combines the creative freedom of building a world by your imagination, through modding and building, and also the rich storyline of an adventure game.

You are in the world of Orbis, a world that has been plagued by a dark force called the Void. Your aim in the storyline is to stop the Void from spreading by uncovering ancient lore and helping factions.

What makes the game so great is that your experience does not alter whether you engage with the storyline or not. Your experience while playing the game is entirely down to you.  

Even better, you can play the game with friends! Here’s how.

How much is Hytale?

With the game’s developers, Hypixel, relying on purchases to pursue its endeavours, the game is not free to play.

There are three editions to choose from varying from $19.99 to $69.99, with different set’s and cape’s depending on which edition you purchase. 

Standard edition at $19.99 includes:

• Forest Guardian Set
• Voyager Set
• Savanna Scout Set
• Exclusive Standard Cape

Supporter Edition at  $34.99 includes:

• Featherbound Set
• Scavenger Set
• Arctic Scout Set
• Explorer Goggles
• Exclusive Supporter Capes
• Everything in the standard edition

Cursebreaker’s Founders Pack at $69.99 includes:

• Everything included in Standard and Supporter
• Hope of Gaia Set
• Void Hero Set
• Pop Star Set
• Voidbearer Set
• Exclusive Cursebreaker Capes

It must be noted that no matter what edition you buy, you will not get any queue-jumping privileges in the early access. It is simply a case of first come first serve. 

How do you download Hytale?

Though many of us are conditioned to boot up Steam to play PC games, you will need to download and install a separate launcher if you want to play Hytale.

We’ve got a separate article on this, so head on over there for a bit more info on how to get this done.