Riot Games acquires Hypixel Studios, maker of Minecraft-like Hytale

League of Legends developer Riot Games continues to expand its horizons with the acquisition of Hypixel Studios, which is behind upcoming sandbox RPG Hytale. Riot Games, which was one of the investors of Hypixel when it was formed in 2018, closed the purchase for an undisclosed amount. “Over the last 18 months, we’ve been fortunate to advise Hypixel Studios as they build toward their vision for evolving a game genre that reaches an incredibly diverse range of players around the globe. Now, as they prepare to enter the next chapter, we’re thrilled to take our partnership to the next level through this acquisition,” said Riot Games President Dylan Jadeja in the release that announced the transaction. Hypixel, however, will retain its current structure, but will establish a permanent office in Londonderry, Northern Ireland, as it continues to work on Hytale. “We’ll continue to operate in the same way as we have before, but Riot will become our parent company and we’ll gain access to their expertise and resources. This means a bigger budget for Hytale, more security for our team, and advisory support from a company that knows how to launch and operate successful, long-running games,” said Hypixel Studios co-founder Simon Collins-Laflamme in a letter posted on the company’s website. Hytale, which was announced in December 2018 through a trailer that has 56 million views on YouTube, has received 2.5 million sign-ups for its beta. The Minecraft-like title “combines the scope of a sandbox with the depth of a roleplaying game,” in an open-world adventure that features combat, crafting, and construction. Riot Games, which had League of Legends as its only title for 10 years since it was launched in 2009, has recently expanded its stable of games. The studio released auto-battler Teamfight Tactics in 2019, which will be followed by a wide rollout of digital card game Legends of Runeterra on April 30. Valorant, a hero-shooter, is currently in closed beta. Riot Games will enter another new genre with Hytale, which is currently set to roll out in 2021. It appears that Hypixel’s acquisition by Riot Games will not affect the targeted release date. Guard Crush, the developer behind Streets of Rage 4, announced its next game. Rather than returning to a familiar franchise, the studio is creating an original title called Absolum alongside Dotemu and Supamonk. It’s a co-op, fantasy beat-em-up that infuses an old genre with roguelike progression hooks. Ahead of its reveal, I got my feet wet in a few Absolum runs across a 90 minute session. It took me a few tries to fully grasp the scope of what Guard Crush is looking to accomplish, but I’m already starting to see the full picture. Absolum feels like a happy middle ground between a classic beat-em-up and a more modern action game, finding crossovers between the two that compliment one another. It’s the exact kind of original follow-up I want to see from a studio after proving itself with a familiar IP.
A new kind of beat-em-up
Like a lot of 2D brawlers (including Dotemu hits like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge), Absolum looks fairly straightforward at a surface glance. When it begins, I’m walking from left to right and stopping to pummel monsters with my fists and sword. It’s immediately recognizable as a game created by the studio behind Streets of Rage 4 thanks to its illustrative art style that makes it look like a playable comic book and its weighty attacks. I’m chaining together combos in a matter of no time — at least until I’m met with an unexpectedly quick death. Warner Bros. Discover Inc. has announced the closing of three of its video game studios: Monolith Productions, Player First Games, and Warner Bros. Games San Diego. It is also canceling the upcoming Wonder Woman game. The company issued a statement regarding the decision. “We have had to make some very difficult decisions to structure our development studios and investments around building the best games possible with our key franchises — Harry Potter, Mortal Kombat, DC and Game of Thrones. After careful consideration, we are closing three of our development studios — Monolith Productions, Player First Games and Warner Bros. Games San Diego. This is a strategic change in direction and not a reflection of these teams or the talent that consists within them. The development of Monolith’s Wonder Woman videogame will not continue forward.” Palworld developer Pocketpair Inc. is starting a new publishing wing, fittingly dubbed Pocketpair Publishing. Its first announced partner is Tales of Kenzera: Zau developer Surgent Studios, as Pocketpair will publish a new horror game from the studio. Pocketpair rose to prominence in 2024 thanks to Palworld, a smash hit survival crafting game that draws clear inspiration from Pokémon. The studio has had a busy year since then, fighting off a lawsuit from Nintendo and partnering with Sony Music Entertainment to expand the Palworld brand. Now, the studio will grow once more as it looks to publish games under the company’s new arm.