Here’s Exactly When You Can Start Playing Hytale, And Why You Should
Even being cancelled couldn’t stop it.
Growing out of a Minecraft custom server, survival crafting RPG Hytale was announced in 2018, and for the last few, its future has looked anything but assured. The wait is nearly over, though, as Hytale is finally ready for its Early Access launch.
Whether you’ve been waiting for it all this time or it’s brand new to you, Hytale is worth keeping an eye on, as one of the most anticipated indie launches of the year. Here’s everything you need to know about Hytale, including when you can start playing.
Hytale adds extensive RPG elements to its Minecraft-inspired survival structure.
Why Is Hytale’s Launch Such A Big Deal?
Across its long development, it’s been a tumultuous road for Hytale. Its developers were behind a popular Minecraft server that hosted minigames for the crafting sandbox, before forming a studio called Hypixel to make their own game in the same voxel style. The studio was later acquired by Riot Games, which funded the project until 2025, when it announced that it was cancelling the game and dissolving Hypixel.
There was immediate talk of whether the studio’s original founders could possibly resurrect the project, which seemed to be a dead-end until November, when they announced that they had in fact purchased the game back from Riot and development was starting again.
Throughout its rocky development period, Hytale was eagerly anticipated by players who were members of Hypixel’s Minecraft server, gaining more popularity for its ambitious plans of adding RPG mechanics and other features to its survival crafting base. A reveal video posted after Hypixel reformed showed an extremely promising look at the game, and the hype around the game only grew. On the eve of Hytale’s launch, Hypixel founder Simon Collins-Laflamme announced that pre-sales alone have funded the next two years of development for the game.
Hypixel Studios shared a look at Hytale’s progress after announcing its unexpected resurrection.
When Is the Hytale Release Date and Time?
Hytale is set to launch on Tuesday, January 13, 2026. A countdown on the game’s official site shows the time left until it unlocks worldwide, rather than being pinned to different times across time zones. Here’s when it’s set to unlock:
- North America West Coast: 7 am PST
- North America East Coast: 10 am EST
- U.K.: 3 pm GMT
- Central Europe: 4 pm CET
- Japan: Midnight on January 14
- Australia: 2 am AEDT on January 14
Can you Preload Hytale?
You can’t preload Hytale, but there is one step you should take before the game’s launch. Given the hype surrounding its launch, Hypixel is expecting more than one million players to join on launch day, according to Collins-Laflamme, who advises that everyone download the launcher ahead of time to avoid delays. Whether Hytale reaches that incredibly ambitious number or not, it’s probably a good idea to download the launcher from Hytale’s website regardless.
Hypixel is expecting a huge influx of players for Hytale’s launch day.
Are There Any Hytale Preorder Bonuses?
Not exactly, but you can get some bonuses for buying the game in Early Access. Buying even the $20 standard edition in Early Access unlocks three in-game cosmetic sets and a cape exclusive to early supporters. The $35 supporter tier adds three more armor sets, a pair of goggles, and more capes. The $70 Cursebreaker set adds four more cosmetic outfits and still more capes. There’s been no announced end date for Hytale Early Access, but if you purchase the game any time before its 1.0 launch, you’ll get the rewards associated with your purchase tier.
