Hytale developer Hypixel Studios has been acquired by Riot Games
Hypixel Studios, makers of block sandbox RPG Hytale, have been acquired by Riot Games, which will support Hypixel through the launch of the game.
Hytale has been a game in the works by Hypixel Studios for some time. The studio was formed in 2018 with help from investors including Riot Games and began work on their blocky, community-driven sandbox and RPG game, Hytale. Now, Riot Games is coming back to bring Hytale and Hypixel into its collectively. Riot has officially acquired Hypixel Studios and will aid the game in a reaching a full launch in 2021.
Riot Games announced the news of their acquisition of Hypixel Studios in a post on the Riot Games website on April 16, 2020. According to the press release from Riot Games, the acquisition follows a pretty much success on recent trailer releases and a beta launch on Hytale’s website for the game in which Riot claims sign-ups ranged around 2.5 million.
“We’ve known the team behind Hypixel Studios for several years, and from the start they’ve been the kind of visionaries that we aspire to support; a passionate studio committed to delivering a groundbreaking, genre-defining experience for players,” said President of Riot Games Dylan Jadeja. “We look forward to supporting Hypixel Studios’ journey through the development process, helping them grow, and learning from them as well.”
Riot has been pretty busy with its own projects as well. They’ve launched Teamfight Tactics on mobile with the introduction of a new TFT esports scene to boot. There’s also card game Legends of Runeterra and first-person competitive shooter Valorant, which have been pulling their weight through beta periods.
On top of all of that, this might be considered an expected choice as Riot expressed desire in 2019 of branching out its universe and inviting outside developers into its sphere. Some might remember the announcement of Riot Forge back in 2019, in which third-party developers would be tapped to create single-players experiences set within the League of Legends universe. The Hypixel acquisition certainly seems like an extension of Riot’s ambitions to grow beyond its own games.
Hytale is expected to launch in full sometime in 2021. As we await further news and details on the game, be sure to check out the game’s twitter and website for more news and details, especially if you want to get involved in beta gameplay of Hytale. Time will tell if this is the first of Riot Games’ major acquisitions as a publisher as well as developer.
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