The Hytale team has just deployed its second major update (Update 2) in the pre-release phase. This update brings a batch of new mechanics, expected fixes, and prepares the groundwork for the future WorldGen V2.
But that’s not all: Simon (Hypixel founder) has also stepped in multiple times to clarify the game’s direction following recent feedback, notably from Jeb (Mojang/Minecraft).
🔮 Necromancy and Gameplay: Magic Awakens
The big gameplay novelty is the introduction of a new form of magic: Necromancy.
- The Necromancy Grimoire: This item can be obtained from the Skeleton Praetorian.
- Skeleton Army: It allows you to raise up to 5 skeletal minions from piles of bones. They will serve you for 5 minutes (or until your death).
Other major gameplay changes:
- Mining Progression: Mining speed now depends on the quality of your pickaxe. Note that Adamantite now requires a Thorium or Cobalt pickaxe.
- Minecarts: Wagons are faster! (Simon clarified with humor that it is “still not amazing, but it is faster”).
- AI & Exploits: No more “towering up” to kill mobs risk-free: NPCs can now throw rocks at you if you are out of reach! Additionally, polar bears and various skeletons have been “buffed.”
🛠️ World Gen V2 and Technical Changes
The team is actively preparing the ground for World Generation V2.
- Ores: A major overhaul of ore placement has taken place, particularly in the underground of the Devastated Lands. This will require generating new chunks to be visible.
- Templates: New world templates (Default_Flat & Default_Void) are now using V2.
- Simon on Generation: Simon confirmed wanting to recruit “15 world generation designers.” The ultimate goal is horizontal progression: instead of always starting in Zone 1 / Tier 1, every adventure should be different. It is an ambitious vision that will take time.
🎨 Cosmetics and Customization
Your avatar’s range of expression is getting richer:
- New Faces: Mouth variants (Vampire, Cute, Orc).
- Accessories: New masks are arriving.
- Armor Visibility: An option allows you to hide your armor (can be forced by the host in PvP for readability).
- Note: Simon reported that this option and certain accessories are currently experiencing bugs that will be fixed very quickly.
- Big news for the community: Violet, an early modder, has been officially hired to create the game’s official cosmetics!
🌾 The “Cozy” Ambition and Farming
The patch notes indicate that crops no longer break with weapons and tilled soil lasts longer. But Simon sees further: he wants to assemble a team entirely dedicated to the “Farming / Cozy” aspect. The goal? To reach a “relaxing gameplay paradise,” while the rest of the team focuses on combat and adventure.
⚙️ Quality of Life (QoL) and Tech
- Launcher: To test the update, go to Settings -> Pre-Release.
- Interface: Added an optional FPS counter, better tooltips (clothing colors, editor blocks), and player indicators on the compass.
- Accessibility: An “Ophidiophobia” mode (fear of snakes) has been added.
- Stability: Major server improvements (ECS, timeouts, validation) and a server auto-updater.
⚠️ What Isn’t Happening (Just Yet)
Following questions from players, Simon was clear on two points:
- Custom Shaders: Not planned for the short term. The team is currently modifying the rendering engine too much and doesn’t want to break players’ shaders with every update.
- Minecraft Comparison: In response to Jeb, who found the game “polished” but preferred Minecraft for now, Simon humbly admits that the early game of Hytale is still “bare” (no bosses, no instanced dungeons, no quests for the moment). The goal isn’t to replace Minecraft, but to offer a deeper RPG-Fantasy adventure in the long run.
How to play Update 2?
Go to your Launcher, click on Settings (the gear icon in the top left), and activate Pre-Release mode in the Patchline. The team is awaiting your bug reports to stabilize this version before fully diving into Update 3!
Full Patch Notes
🎨 Cosmetics & Customization
- New Face Accessories: New masks available for all editions.
- Armor Visibility: Added a toggle for armor slot visibility (can be host-enforced for PvP/Immersion).
- New Mouth Variants: Vampire, Cute, and Orc options added for all editions.
- Visual Updates: Berserker haircut tiling fixed. Updates to haircuts, cape animations, petals, and cloth visuals.
⚔️ Gameplay & Balance
- New Magic: Necromancy Grimoire! Drops from the Skeleton Praetorian. Allows you to raise up to 5 skeletal minions from bone piles (Duration: 5 minutes or until the summoner dies).
- Mining Progression:
- Mining speed now scales with pickaxe quality.
- Adamantite now requires a Thorium or Cobalt pickaxe.
- Minecarts: Rail karts are faster (dev note: “still not great, but faster!”).
- AI & Combat:
- Tower Exploit Fixed: NPCs can now throw rocks at players out of reach.
- Buffed polar bears and multiple skeleton types.
- Magma Rhino Toad attack updates (…possibly an accidental buff).
- Items & Blocks:
- All crops can now place produce in the world.
- Missing decorative light blocks added to the furniture bench.
- Adjusted hide drops (Light → Medium for NPCs like cows).
- Permissions: Added permission for world map teleporting.
🌍 World Generation
- WorldGen V2: Prepared for public documentation to support modders.
- Templates: New
Default_Flat&Default_Voidtemplates now utilize WorldGen V2. - Hub Portal: Now spawns with V2 flat worldgen (featuring clear weather, limited fog; applies to new worlds only).
- Ores: Major ore placement refactor across all zones.
- More ores added, specifically in the Devastated Lands underground.
- Note: Requires generating new chunks in existing worlds to appear.
- Environment: Zone 1 dungeon environment fixes + new general environment fixes (new soundtracks may now trigger).
🌾 Farming
- Eternal Crops: No longer break from weapon damage.
- Soil: Increased lifetime for tilled soil and fixed soil decay occurring under fully grown crops.
⚙️ UI / UX
- Tooltips: Improved editor block tooltips and added clothing color tooltips.
- Hotbar: Better active-slot contrast (added a diamond indicator, useful in Howling Sands).
- Inventory:
- Interaction updates (e.g., new keybind to pull all items from chests).
- Memory categories sorted alphabetically.
- HUD:
- Optional FPS counter overlay.
- Player markers added to the compass.
- Tools: Scripted Brush QoL improvements.
- Accessibility: Added Ophidiophobia mode (removes snakes).
🔊 Audio
- Added basic Rex sounds.
- Various additional audio fixes.
🛠️ Bug Fixes, Tech & Stability
- Server:
- Server self-updater added.
- Major improvements to server stability, validation, ECS, localization, and timeouts.
- Visuals: Shadow improvements and food particle tint updates.
- General Fixes:
- Pick block now works when the hotbar is full.
- Fixed Asset Editor documentation.
- Mantling fixes.
- Keybind persistence fixed.
- Improved weather transitions (smoother, though not yet perfect).
- Teleporter offset fixed.
- Rail karts now consume & place items correctly.
- Fixed bed respawning in unloaded chunks.