The developers behind Hytale, the Minecraft-like sandbox RPG part-funded by Riot Games being made by the folks behind one of Minecraft’s most popular servers, have posted a large update on the project’s development progress, including a launch window.
Hypixel posted a new blog, the first in several months, discussing some of the challenges the team has encountered, including a mounting anxiety due to community expectation surrounding the game. “Hytale is an ambitious project and we have set high standards for ourselves, but the bar has been raised even higher by the community response,” the post reads. “It’s fair to say that we weren’t prepared for the degree of intense analysis that we’ve received, and we’re highly aware of the risks that have faced highly-anticipated games in the past. We know we’ve only got one chance to make a strong first impression with the finished game.”
Although Hypixel writes that it’s reticent to make any commitments until there’s something concrete to reveal, there is a plan for when the full release of Hytale is expected to occur, which is sometime in 2021. “Factoring in the scale of the project and the high bar we want to hit, we’re planning for Hytale to be playable by everyone in 2021,” the update says. “We’re very aware that this is a longer wait than many were expecting, but we believe that we owe our players the best possible game that we can make and that it’s important to be realistic about what it’ll take to get there.”
Hypixel goes on to reassure everyone that the vagueness is very much a symptom of keeping the game under control and getting development done as smoothly as possible. The studio is all too aware there’s still a dearth of important information, like pricing, and is keen to provide answers as soon as it can. “We know that players are waiting for answers on sensitive topics like beta testing, release platforms, and our business model. Unfortunately, it’s still too soon for us to make announcements in this regard – but we know how important these subjects are to the community, and they’ve not been forgotten.”
That said, there were some small accompanying tidbits to this post, such as a more in-depth look into the recent graphical upgrades, and four new tracks from the game’s soundtrack.
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