Why Hytale will not put a dent in Minecraft's popularity in 2026

As the Hytale early access release date approaches, many are discussing how it would affect Minecraft. There is a lot of hype around the new game, which was inspired by Mojang's sandbox title. After Minecraft was released, the Hypixel team, particularly Simon, wanted to create a similar kind of game, but with a focus on RPG and dungeon-crawling elements. This gave birth to Hytale in 2015.

Though many people are discussing whether Hytale could negatively affect Minecraft's sales or popularity, an argument can be made that it will not put a dent in Mojang's giant title. Here's why.

Note: This article is subjective and solely reflects the writer's opinion.

Reasons why Hytale will not affect Minecraft's popularity

Hytale is still in early access

Hytale is under heavy development (Image via Hypixel Studios)

The major reason why Hytale will most likely not affect Minecraft is that the former is still under development. The head of Hypixel Studios, Simon, himself clarified on X that the game is nowhere near complete.

He revealed that the developers are working on a four-year-old build of the game, and gradually updating every single line of code, while fixing bugs and adding new features. Though Hytale will be coming out on January 13, 2026, Simon kept reminding fans that it is in early access, and the game can break for many.

It is worth mentioning that Minecraft, too, has its fair share of bugs, even after being out for more than 16 years. However, it will feel like a much more polished game than Hytale, at least in 2026, when Hypixel's title is still under development. Even though Minecraft Bedrock Edition is plagued with issues, for most players, it will still run decently.

This is one of the main reasons why Hytale will not affect Minecraft, at least for now.

Also Read: Is Hytale early access worth pre-ordering?

Minecraft has established itself as a giant

Minecraft is the most sold game, has done various collaborations, and even has its own movie (Image via Sportskeeda Gaming || Mojang Studios)

Many might see Minecraft as a simple block game, mainly made for kids. However, it is safe to say that Minecraft has cemented itself as one of the most popular games of all-time. It is the most-sold video game ever created, has millions of concurrent players every year, and has collaborated with top brands from other fields. In 2025, a full-length feature film was also made on Minecraft, starring Jack Black, Jason Momoa, and more.

Even if players do not want to play vanilla Minecraft, they can download thousands of mods to completely change the game. They can even add enough mods to make Minecraft look and feel like Hytale itself.

Because of these achievements and customization options, Mojang's title is in a league of its own, which Hytale could take quite some time to reach.

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Edited by Akshat Kabra