Riot Games sells sandbox game Hytale back to its original co-founders, imminent release expected

Riot Games has sold the rights to sandbox game Hytale back to its original Co-founders, Simon Collins-Laflamme and Philippe Touchette.

While Riot previously sunset the project early this year, Hytale is now expected to enter early access.

Hytale is a unique take on the sandbox game franchise, combining the genre’s building and crafting elements with a roleplaying experience for solo players and groups.

The project was initially developed by Hyperpixel Studios, a small developer team founded in 2018. Two years later, Riot Games acquired Hypixel Studios, which also saw Co-Founders Collins-Laflamme and Touchette step away from the project.

Riot Games had been part of a group of angel investors which supported Hytale’s initial development. Following the acquisition, Hypixel Studios was meant to benefit from Riot’s resources while working towards the game’s release as a fairly independent entity.

Although a development update from March 2025 reported progress on the game engine and internal playtesting, Riot announced the end of Hytale as well as the shutdown of Hypixel Studios only three months later.

“When we saw the community’s reaction, we knew we had to act,” explained Collins-Laflamme in a blog post.

“Although we hadn’t been involved with Hytale since 2020, Hytale and its community have always been something we cherished. We made an offer to Riot Games without seeing the full state of the project.”

Yesterday, both parties confirmed the re-acquisition of Hytale and the continuation of the project.

“After evaluating multiple offers, we’ve reached an agreement to return Hytale to Simon Collins-Laflamme, giving this community its best shot at experiencing a revised version of the game. Wishing the team the best of luck for what’s ahead,” shared Riot Games on social media.

In the latest Hytale blog post, Collins-Laflamme also discusses the current state of the game and what is planned next.

Now owning 100% of Hytale, its co-founders have made a ten-year personal funding commitment. Moreover, over 30 developers who have previously worked on the project have been re-hired.

Despite its current unpolished state, an early access version of Hytale will launch as soon as possible. The exact launch date as well as pricing details will be revealed in the coming days.

At launch, Hytale will feature an Exploration Mode, Creative Mode and modding, with the Adventure Mode and minigames added later on. Throughout an expected early access period of several years, Collins-Laflamme and his team plan to finalise the game based on player feedback.

“We expect our roadmap to evolve as we learn more about the game’s needs and how players respond. […] We know the risk of releasing an unfinished product. First impressions matter, and it’s hard to change minds,” clarified the co-founder. 

“But this is a risk we must take. We need your help creating content, reporting bugs, giving feedback, and building this with us. No risk, no Hytale.”