As of 10 a.m. EST this morning, Hytale is officially back in business and playable for everyone who ponied up the early access fee, following a cancellation and comeback story that was a highlight of 2026.
How many people are in there? We don’t know because the game’s early access isn’t on Steam – yet – but rather is accessible through Hypixel’s own launcher. Prior to the release, however, the studio announced it was expecting a million players, and then Hypixel’s Simon Collins-Laflamme said that enough people had already bought the game to ensure the studio had “officially secured the next two years of development costs through pre-purchases” – in addition to Collins-Laflamme’s own “personal commitment of ten years.”
As we’ve previously covered, the MMO-and-creator-platform is currently offering three buy-in packages running from $24 to $84. Notably, the mod scene is already up and away on Curseforge, where players have already been posting everything from decor to a side-scroller.
And do note that you may encounter typical launch day stuff!

I will be forever grateful to the amazing Hytale community. I promise to work hard in the coming years to achieve the full vision of Hytale.
Thank you, everyone, for the support.
By players, for players.
By modders, for modders. https://t.co/IChAAAisGp— Simon (@Simon_Hypixel) January 13, 2026