With $100 Million From Riot, How The F**k Did Hytale Get Canceled!?
This is a gut punch to the entire genre.
In case you missed it, Hytale got canceled. Hypixel Studios’ sandbox MMORPG — seven years in the making — has officially been scrapped. No beta, no early access, nothing.
If you’re not familiar, Hytale was pitched as part Minecraft, part MMORPG, part modding platform. We’re not sure if the game would’ve been free-to-play or not, as the business model was never finalized.
It promised procedurally generated worlds, cinematic tools, deep combat, and creator-friendly features. The studio behind it built Hypixel, one of Minecraft’s biggest servers. Then Riot Games stepped in, eventually buying the studio outright and reportedly investing over $100 million.
It’s baffling, and a huge red flag for the genre.
This wasn’t some indie dream that fell apart. It was a Riot-backed project with massive potential. If that kind of funding can’t get a game like Hytale out the door, what hope do smaller MMO developers have? The genre is already weighed down by long development cycles and sky-high expectations. Now it feels like even deep pockets aren’t enough.
MMOs deserve better than this.
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About the Author
Matthew “dinofries” D'Onofrio is a writer, content creator, podcaster and — most importantly — a gamer. With such a strong passion for video games and a severe case of FOMO, it's no surprise he always has his finger on the pulse of the gaming world. On the rare occasion Matt's away from a screen, you'll find him strumming away on his acoustic guitar or taking care of his cat Totoro.
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