Why Was Hytale Canceled After Riot’s $100 Million Investment?

In case you haven’t heard, Hytale has been canceled. Hypixel Studios’ sandbox MMORPG — developed over seven years — has been officially discontinued. No beta, no early access, nothing at all.

If you’re not in the loop, Hytale was envisioned as a blend of Minecraft, MMORPG elements, and a modding platform. The game’s business model was never solidified, leaving us uncertain whether it would be free-to-play.

It promised procedurally generated worlds, cinematic tools, intricate combat mechanics, and features appealing to creators. The studio behind it, Hypixel, is known for hosting one of Minecraft’s largest servers. Eventually, Riot Games intervened, acquiring the studio and reportedly investing over $100 million.

This development is shocking and raises significant concerns for the genre.

This wasn’t just an indie endeavor that met its demise. It was a project backed by Riot with substantial potential. If such considerable funding can’t bring Hytale to fruition, what chances do smaller MMO developers have? The genre is already burdened by lengthy development cycles and exceptionally high expectations. Now it seems that even ample funding isn’t sufficient.

MMOs truly deserve better than this.