Hypixel Studios, Developer of the Minecraft-inspired Hytale, has been acquired by Riot Games as an independent studio.
In the announcement made on Hytale’s website, both Simon and Noxy have made statements.
Simon is immensely grateful for the enthusiasm and creativity of the growing Hytale community.
Simon has stated that the acquisition marks a huge step in the team’s progression from modders to legitimate video game developers. He mentions the success of their trailer for Hytale in drawing the attention of potential partners. Not only does this bring Riot Games’ expertise to Hytale’s continued development, but it also allows for a bigger budget and opportunities for growing Hypixel Studios.
He’s also making sure people note that this acquisition doesn’t affect the Hypixel Minecraft Server. It only affects the Hypixel Studios developments.
The final piece of big news from Simon’s open letter is that he is stepping down as CEO of Hypixel Studios. Replaced by Noxy, Simon is still making himself available to the team as an advisor but has chosen to focus his “future efforts on [his] health, family, and the Hypixel Minecraft server where it all started”.
In Noxy’s letter, he talks more seriously on the partnership between Hypixel Studios and Riot Games.
Firstly, Noxy explains that the partnership was the reason for the quiet stretches during 2019.
“These processes take a lot of time and careful consideration to get right.”
Noxy
He then goes on to announce that Hypixel Studios will be setting up its first physical office. This will be located in Derry, Northern Ireland, Noxy’s hometown. They plan to use this to expand their QA team and bring on further support staff. Hypixel Studios currently operates with a largely remote workforce, and their contributions will continue through this period.
Hypixel Studios was formed by, amongst others, several Riot Games employees. It also had further advisory input by a group including Riot Games. So…the partnership between the two isn’t completely crazy. For more on it, check out the accompanying FAQ page.
Riot Games is also busy with it’s first FPS title: Valorant. Valorant is currently in the Closed Beta stage. Be sure to keep an eye on @GamezoGG and the Valorant News Page for all the latest.
