Hytale's modding gold rush: CurseForge and Hypixel Studios dangle $100K for next-level NPCs and biomes. Hypixel Studios and CurseForge have launched the "Hytale New Worlds Modding Contest," a $100,000 competition aimed at rewarding creators who build new assets, NPCs, creatures, biomes, bosses, and gameplay experiences for Hytale. Hytale is teaming up with its partner modding platform CurseForge, run by Overwolf, to launch a modding contest dubbed the "Hytale New Worlds Modding Contest." The modding competition comes with a lucrative $100,000 prize pool, which will be awarded to creators who keep pushing the boundaries of what's possible in Hytale. The Hytale New Worlds Modding Contest aims to encourage players to create new assets, NPCs, creatures, biomes, or bosses. After Hytale launched into early access on 13 January, despite a bumpy development history and nearly being indefinitely shelved by Riot Games, the community has grown into one of the fastest-growing communities, with over 2 million downloads and over 5,000 mods already available on CurseForge. Simon Collins-Laflamme, CEO of Hypixel Studios, stated: "Games thrive long-term because of their communities, and Hytale's creators have already shown us that since launching into Early Access. Hypixel Studios is putting $100,000 behind this contest as a first step toward something much bigger to recognise and reward the people shaping Hytale's future." The CEO and co-founder of Overwolf (which operates CurseForge), Uri Marchand, chimed in as well and said: "The Hytale modding community had already proven what it's capable of with over 5,000 mods created and over 20 million mods downloaded. This contest is our way of doubling down on those creators, giving them a $100,000 reason to push World Gen NPCs and Experiences further than we've ever imagined." To celebrate this milestone, Hytale has split its New Worlds Modding Contest into three categories, each offering a total of $27,000 in prize money. First comes the WorldGen V2 category, where modders are encouraged to craft custom worlds with new regions, biomes, and zones using the game's visual node editor. The NPCs category invites modders to create new NPCs, bosses, and enemies, or update existing creatures with new behavioural patterns. Last but not least is the Experiences category, where modders can tinker with the game to create fun new ways to enjoy Hytale, such as minigames, increased difficulty, or overhauled gameplay systems with added skill trees and upgrade pathways. Each category splits the $27,000 prize pool: $10,000 for first place, $7,500 for second place, $2,500 for third place, and $1,000 for fourth through tenth. However, Hytale's New Worlds Modding Contest won't end there. Once mod finalists are selected, community members will get to vote on their favourite mods across all categories. The five mods with the most community votes will each receive $2,000. Enriching the prize pool, Hypixel Studios will throw in three surprise mid-contest drops during the submission period, handing over $300 to ten qualifying mods. That brings the total to 65 winners across multiple categories, giving modders from all niches a chance to win a hefty sum. Hytale, which has been in development since 2015, was released into early access inmid-January 2026. It is playable on Windows, Linux, and macOS, and users have even reported success playing it on Valve's Steam Deck (via Linux installers) despite it not officially being available on the Steam storefront.

Hypixel announces the PC requirements for Hytale. After many twists and turns, Hytale will finally be released in early access on January 13, 2026, on PC. Players will be able to access this version in development for around €20. Hypixel Studios has also looked into the system requirements for running its game. Suffice to say that most machines will be able to run it without too much problems. Minimum (1080p at 30 FPS). * Operating system: Windows 10 64-bit (version 1809), Windows 11 * Processor: Intel Core i5-7500 (or equivalent), AMD Ryzen 3 1200 (or equivalent) * RAM: 8 GB (Single-player mode, with dedicated graphics card), 12 GB (Single-player mode, with integrated graphics card), 8 GB (Multiplayer only) * Dedicated graphics card: NVIDIA GTX 900 series, AMD Radeon 400 series, Intel Arc A series / Integrated graphics card: Intel UHD 620, AMD Radeon Vega 3 * Storage: SATA SSD with 20 GB of free space * Network: 2 Mbit/s connection for multiplayer (UDP/QUIC compatible) Recommended (1080p at 60 FPS). * Operating system: Windows 10 64-bit (version 1809), Windows 11 * Processor: Intel Core i5-10400 (or equivalent), AMD Ryzen 5 3600 (or equivalent) * RAM: 16 GB * Dedicated graphics card: NVIDIA GTX 900 series, AMD Radeon 400 series, Intel Arc A series / Integrated graphics card: Intel Iris Xe, AMD Radeon 660M * Storage: SSD with 20 GB of free space * Network: 8 Mbit/s connection for multiplayer (UDP/QUIC compatible) Recommended for streamers (1440p at 60 FPS). * Operating system: Windows 10 64-bit (version 1809), Windows 11 * Processor: Intel Core i7-10700K (or equivalent), AMD Ryzen 7 3800X (or equivalent) * RAM: 32 GB * Graphics card: NVIDIA RTX 30 series, AMD Radeon RX 7000 series, Intel Arc A series * Storage: NVMe SSD with at least 10% (or 50 GB) of free space available

Hypixel Studios reveals new Hytale gameplay footage following the game's revival. Hypixel Studios has released an extensive new gameplay video showcasing over 15 minutes of content for the anticipated adventure game, Hytale. This development follows the company's recent acquisition of the game's rights after they were previously held by Riot Games. As a result, the new footage serves as a significant showcase of progress. It's important to clarify that this release is not a polished trailer typical of AAA games. Instead, it features unedited gameplay footage captured in a single morning, assembled by Hypixel co-founder Simon Collins-Laflamme. The studio has emphasized that the video contains no special effects or enhancements, instead presenting the game in its current state. The footage has been described as "raw and broken, but still beautiful." According to Hypixel, this gameplay utilizes the original legacy engine from 2018 and runs on a four-year-old build. Collins-Laflamme expressed the intention behind sharing this unrefined footage was to finally break the cycle of setbacks that the game has faced over the years. Hytale experienced a setback when Riot Games announced its cancellation following nearly ten years of development. However, just months later, Hypixel successfully regained the rights and resumed work on the project, re-hiring around 30 staff members in the process. The team acknowledges that there is still a considerable journey ahead, but they are optimistic about an upcoming early access release, though a specific date has not yet been provided. For those unfamiliar, Hytale is an engaging adventure title that offers an open-world experience reminiscent of Minecraft. The newly released footage highlights various gameplay elements, including action sequences and RPG mechanics, alongside a chilling glimpse of nighttime scenarios within the game.