Latest news with #Aaron"Noxy"Donaghey
Express Tribune
14 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Hytale cancelled: Riot Games announce layoffs as Hytale gets cancelled after 7 years of development
Riot Games has officially cancelled development of the long-delayed sandbox RPG Hytale and will begin the process of closing Hypixel Studios, the team behind the project. The decision was confirmed by Hypixel co-founder Aaron "Noxy" Donaghey, who described it as a difficult outcome for both the studio and its parent company. 'This isn't the conclusion we had hoped for,' Donaghey said in a public statement. 'Despite years of iteration, technical overhauls and strategic reviews, we ultimately couldn't find a version of Hytale that delivered on its original promise.' Originally unveiled in 2018, Hytale had been in development for several years before being acquired by Riot in 2020. The game had attracted attention for its blocky aesthetic and sandbox structure reminiscent of Minecraft, but never reached a playable release. Target launch windows in 2021 and later 2023 were repeatedly delayed as the studio reworked its ambitions and engine. Over time, the project grew increasingly complex. As the genre evolved, internal expectations reportedly shifted, and the development roadmap became harder to follow. 'The further we went, the more we realised the scope required significant compromises,' Donaghey said. 'None of those options would have produced the experience we envisioned.' This was the Official Hytale - Announcement Trailer released on the December 13th 2018! 📅 The video has over 61 million views, the community waited years! for the game which sadly will never come! — Scott (ECKOSOLDIER) (@eckoxsoldier) June 23, 2025 Efforts to reduce features, change timelines or scale back the project were ultimately deemed incompatible with the creative identity of the game. According to the studio, Riot also explored the possibility of finding a third-party investor or buyer to continue development, but no viable path was found. Hypixel Studios employed over 70 staff globally, though the exact number of redundancies has not been disclosed. Riot is said to be offering severance packages and transition support to affected employees. While Hytale will not continue, the original Hypixel Minecraft server — operated separately from the studio — will remain online and unaffected. The cancellation arrives amid a challenging period for the games industry. Layoffs across multiple studios have persisted through 2025, continuing a trend from previous years. Donaghey closed by expressing pride in the team's work and gratitude for Riot's support: 'Although we're closing this chapter, the ideas and spirit behind Hytale remain with us. What we built wasn't wasted — the lessons will carry forward.'
Engadget
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Engadget
Riot Games shuts down Hypixel Studios and ends development of Hytale
Here's a bit of sad news for gamers. Hypixel Studios is shutting down and ending development of Hytale . The game looked pretty nifty, combining action-RPG mechanics with Minecraft . Riot Games purchased the developer back in 2020, though it has been working on Hytale a lot longer than that . Development is ending immediately and the company will be shutting down "over the next few months." Hypixel CEO Aaron "Noxy" Donaghey said the decision was made when it "became clear we couldn't bring Hytale to life in a way that truly delivered on its promise." To view this content, you'll need to update your privacy settings. Please click here and view the "Content and social-media partners" setting to do so. "Over time, as our vision evolved and the genre matured around us, the bar kept rising," he continued. "Our technical ambitions grew more complex, and even after a major reboot of the game engine, the team found that Hytale still wasn't as far along as it needed to be." Donaghey doesn't blame Riot. He went on to say that the company behind League of Legends and Valorant offered the staff "generous severance" and is helping impacted employees find new opportunities. We contacted Riot Games for a comment and will update this post if we hear back. To view this content, you'll need to update your privacy settings. Please click here and view the "Content and social-media partners" setting to do so. This is a bummer. The game looked pretty darn cool and recent developer updates teased reworked biomes, improved graphics and a lot more. Now we'll never know what could have been.
