This evening, between 6 PM and 7 PM, Slikey (a developer at Hypixel Studios) answered community questions live. He shared a lot of important information about the game’s vision, creation tools, modding, technology, and the overall direction of the project. Here’s a clear and comprehensive summary of what was announced.
A vision centered on creativity
Slikey reiterated that Hytale was never intended to compete with any other game. The team comes from the world of Hypixel minigames and created Hytale to overcome the technical limitations encountered so far.
Hytale is meant to be a playground where creators can fully express their imagination, while still enjoying a solid and immersive core gameplay experience.
Modding: a freedom rarely seen in a commercial game
One of the most striking aspects of the session: the depth of the modding.
- Almost the entire game is modifiable: world generation, blocks, weapons, NPCs, UI, etc.
- It is possible to remake Orbis , or even delete all of the official content to create your own game.
- The creation tools are free and accessible to all, without contract or commercial agreement.
- Simple modifications (items, recipes, NPCs) are made via JSON files or via built-in tools.
- Server plugins use Java, but this is not necessary for the majority of mods.
For security, no remote code is downloaded: the modding is fully sandboxed and only carries assets and configuration.
Official tools: Blockbench, documentation and shared source
Several important confirmations:
- The Hytale Model Maker has been discontinued in favor of an official partnership with Blockbench.
A complete plugin is in development and may be released before or at launch. - Public Gitbook documentation will be available and will be expanded over time.
- The server’s source code will be shared shortly after release, without obfuscation and with comments.
A rare opening in the industry, designed to give maximum freedom to creators.
Game systems: world, NPCs, lights, hitboxes
Some technical and gameplay details:
- Exploration and adventure are based on the same technical foundations; only the presence of narrative content differentiates them.
- The NPC system is very advanced: factions, dynamic behaviors, groups, natural interactions.
- The lighting engine is being redesigned to correct inconsistencies between models and voxels, as well as differences between static and dynamic lights.
- Segmented hitboxes exist but still need work, especially for Monster Hunter-style combat.
Servers, multiplayer and infrastructure
Slikey provided a lot of details about how the servers work:
- The server will be available from day 1 .
- It runs on Java 25 and can be hosted on any compatible machine.
- Hosting is possible either self-hosted or via GSPs (e.g., mTxServ ).
- Option to join a friend’s single-player world .
- The server will be in shared source , even allowing the creation of alternative servers as long as they remain compatible with the client’s protocol.
- The network relies entirely on QUIC .
Performance, accessibility and platforms
- Hytale uses OpenGL 3.3 to be compatible with Macs and less powerful machines.
- The goal is to remain accessible without requiring a high-end computer.
- Hardware testing is currently underway.
Community modding and monetization
- No integrated marketplace at launch.
- The mods will be offered via existing platforms: CurseForge, Modrinth, etc.
- Creators will be able to monetize their content on these platforms.
- Hypixel Studios wants to reward contributors in the future, but the system is not yet finalized.
Development and updates
- The team is on a hiring freeze until after launch, in order to maintain a controlled structure.
- A lot of technical debt remains: some mods may break at the beginning.
- Objective: frequent updates from the moment of release.
- A deprecation policy to improve mod stability will come later.
And the exit?
Slikey confirms that pre-orders are coming very soon and that the release date is being finalized.
The announcement is imminent.
Conclusion
This session confirmed Hytale’s clear and ambitious direction:
a game designed for creativity, open, modifiable, accessible, and supported by a team determined to work with its community.