Hytale is an open-world block game that mixes exploration, survival, combat and building, with a big focus on modding. It’s developed by Hypixel Studios and has been available in Early Access since January 13, 2026 for PC (Windows), Linux and Apple Silicon Macs. It’s a paid game, bought on the official website and played through its own launcher. The current version is 0.7 (Update 7), which on October 12, 2026 debuted the Chapters system with Chapter I and added Spanish as an official language. To start playing: create a world in Exploration Mode, gather basic materials, craft simple tools and set up a shelter before night falls. We walk you through each step below.
What is Hytale
At first glance it looks like Minecraft, but it has more elaborate combat, creatures and NPCs with their own behaviors, a world split into zones and a strong focus on creation tools. The world is called Orbis and it’s procedurally generated.
A bumpy history
- 2018: Hypixel Studios, formed by the team behind the well-known Minecraft server Hypixel, reveals Hytale with a trailer.
- 2020: Riot Games buys Hypixel Studios.
- June 2025: Riot announces it’s halting Hytale’s development.
- November 2025: founders Simon Collins-Laflamme and Philippe Touchette buy the game back from Riot, bring back over 30 developers and decide to launch it in Early Access on the old engine, which was already playable.
- January 13, 2026: Early Access launches. Since then the game has received frequent updates. Update 6 arrived on August 27, 2026.
- October 12, 2026: Update 7 (version 0.7), «Chapter I: Out of the Breach», arrives as the first chapter of Early Access.
Platforms, price and Early Access
- Platforms: Windows 10 and 11, Linux x64 and macOS on Apple Silicon. There’s no console or mobile version. When they got the game back, the team said other platforms would come much later. Check the Hytale requirements before buying it.
- Payment model: it’s a paid game, with several editions. According to the official FAQ, you can upgrade your edition later by paying only the difference.
- Early Access: the studio itself warns that it’s a game in development, unpolished and incomplete, with bugs and frequent changes. Before launch, they even asked people not to buy it if they weren’t comfortable with those conditions.
- Language: since Update 7 the game is officially available in Spanish (and French), in addition to English. We explain it in Hytale in Spanish.
Game modes
- Exploration Mode: the main mode in Early Access. You explore a generated world, gather resources, craft, fight and build.
- Creative Mode: free flight and building tools like brushes to create mountains or paths, selection tools to copy and paste, a prefab structure browser and a tool for recording camera scenes.
- Adventure Mode: promised for later, with a story, deeper progression and dungeons with bosses. The team is building it in phases through updates.
Every available mode can be played in multiplayer, by opening your world to friends or joining servers.
Chapters: Chapter I
With Update 7, Early Access content starts arriving in Chapters. The first is Chapter I: Out of the Breach, which came out on October 12, 2026 and is played in Exploration Mode, in both new and existing worlds. Here’s how it works:
- Where it starts: at the Forgotten Temple. Exploring its new Goblin Lab unlocks the chapter’s content.
- Chapter screen: a new screen shows you the objectives and rewards. Plus, the Scrap Arcanist and Junk Pilot cosmetic sets unlock as you play the chapter.
- What it adds: goblin breaches, The Guttering Hollows biome, The Deepworks dungeon with the Gobliterator boss, runes with abilities and mana, and seven goblin gadgets.
- Cursebreaker Edition: owners get an extra copy of the Standard Edition to gift for every Early Access chapter.
We cover it all in our Hytale Update 7 guide.
How to start playing: your first hours
- Install the official launcher from hytale.com, sign in with your account and download the game.
- Create an Exploration world. If it’s your first time, start solo or with a friend to learn the mechanics without rushing.
- Look around before you move. Spot trees, stone, water and creatures near the starting point.
- Gather the basics: plant fiber from bushes and plants, sticks and loose rocks. With that you craft your first crude tools from the inventory: hatchet, pickaxe and a weapon.
- Craft a Workbench with wood and stone. It unlocks better recipes and new crafting stations.
- Set up a shelter before nightfall. A sealed cave or a small lit building protects you from hostile creatures. Craft something to sleep in and set your respawn point.
- Learn to fight. Combat rewards patience: block, dodge and attack when the enemy finishes its move, instead of mashing buttons.
- Explore and upgrade your gear. Look for ores to move from crude tools to metal ones, and use the map to find your way around.
- Reach the Forgotten Temple. Once you have decent gear, find your zone’s temple and go through its portal: that’s where you activate Memories and start Chapter I. We explain it in Hytale zones and biomes.
One important tip: the studio acknowledges there may be serious bugs that cause data loss. Back up your worlds every so often.
Where mods fit in
Modding is one of Hytale’s pillars. Mods run on the server side: the game uses a single unmodified client, and when you play solo, your world runs as a local server. That’s why you can join modded servers without downloading anything, and in single-player, mods are enabled world by world. CurseForge is the official partner for distributing community content. You’ll find the step-by-step process in the guide to installing mods in Hytale, and some recommended mods to get started, like BetterMap or Perfect Parries, in our Hytale section.
Frequently asked questions
Is Hytale free?
No. It’s a paid game you buy on the official website, with several editions. Community servers and CurseForge mods, on the other hand, are usually free.
Is Hytale available in Spanish?
Yes. Since Update 7 (October 12, 2026), Spanish is one of the game’s official languages.
What is Hytale’s Chapter I?
It’s the first Early Access chapter, «Out of the Breach», which arrived with Update 7. It starts at the Forgotten Temple and brings goblins, a dungeon with bosses, runes and new gadgets.
Is Hytale on Steam or consoles?
At the Early Access launch it was sold only on the official website, and it’s played through its launcher. There’s no console version: the studio has said other platforms will come much later.
Can you play Hytale offline?
Yes. According to the official website, you need internet to download it and for periodic authentication, but the game supports offline play.
How do I play Hytale with friends?
You can open your world from the pause menu with the Online Play option and share a code, or set up a dedicated server. We explain it in the guide to creating a Hytale server.
Is Hytale like Minecraft?
It shares the basics of a block world, building and survival, but it puts more emphasis on combat, zone-based exploration, creatures, and creation and modding tools built in from the start.