Every year, many video games hit the market, but only a few are capable of transcending history. In this sense, there are only a handful of names in the industry that can match Minecraft, one of the most revolutionary titles of all time, which was able to change the video game paradigm forever, serving as a platform for millions of people who wanted to give free rein to their creativity, as well as being an example for hundreds of games that came after its official launch.

So far, no one has managed to overshadow the all-powerful franchise created by Mojang. Although many titles attempt to offer a similar dynamic to Minecraft, the Microsoft-owned title continues to rank as one of the most played on all platforms, proving that the throne of world building has had a name for more than a decade. However, 2026 may be the year when the landscape changes once and for all, as the early release of a title has generated a tidal wave of impressions that threaten Minecraft's reign.

This title is Hytale, which was created in 2015 before being acquired by Riot Games, the developers of League of Legends. However, the project was abandoned by the company and suffered a painful cancellation for many players, until its original developers took back the reins and saw it through to completion. Now, the title is available in early access and has enough to offer to have attracted millions of players around the world, demonstrating virtues that compete directly with, and in many cases even surpass, those of Minecraft.

A concept similar to Minecraft with greater complexity

The main difference that stands out when entering the world of Hytale is its visual and structural depth. While Minecraft remains faithful to its blocky minimalism, Hytale uses its own engine that allows for greater detail without losing the cubic essence. The biomes are designed with a geological complexity that invites thorough exploration: from lush jungles with reactive vegetation to frozen wastelands with breathtaking dynamic lighting. This visual richness eliminates the feeling of 'emptiness' that sometimes afflicts procedurally generated worlds, making every corner of the map feel like a more complete setting.

Where Hytale really hits the mark is in its role-playing aspect. Unlike the purely sandbox experience of Minecraft, where the player often has to come up with their own goals, Hytale offers a much more structured, integrated narrative layer. The world is full of factions to interact with, settlements with NPCs offering quests with backstories, and hand-designed dungeons with final bosses that require strategy and coordination. This more guided, but equally free, progression allows players to feel that their impact on the world has a clear purpose.

The aspect that may tip the scales definitively for content creators is the inclusion of integrated creative tools. While in Mojang's game, deep customisation often depends on patches, plugins, or external software, Hytale has been designed from the ground up as a total creation platform. It includes model editors, cinematography tools, and even a live programming interface that allows aspects of the game to be modified in real time without having to restart it. This 'greater complexity' is not intended to overwhelm the player, but rather to give them absolute control so that the game is, in reality, an infinite engine of possibilities where the community can shape their own universes with unprecedented ease.

Action and management, two essential elements for understanding Hytale

In Hytale, combat is one of its greatest gameplay strengths. Unlike the simple mechanics that have always characterised Minecraft, here there is a much more tactical and polished action system that draws directly from modern ARPGs. There is a wide variety of weapons, from heavy swords to magic staffs, each with its own set of moves, blocks and special attacks. This forces the player to learn attack patterns, as enemies have advanced AI that allows them to flank, take cover or even retreat to call for reinforcements.

On the other hand, management ties the whole experience together and gives meaning to progression. The game offers a much more organic and rewarding survival and resource management system. Cultivating the land, raising different species of livestock, or managing inventories of rare materials for forging high-level equipment feels logical and necessary. In addition, the ability to influence the economy of settlements and manage your own base camp adds a layer of strategic depth that brings more substance to life simulators.

Hytale has proven in early 2026 that the long wait and bumps in its development have been worth it. After years of uncertainty, this early access confirms that we are not dealing with a simple copy with better graphics, but rather the natural evolution of a genre that was crying out for fresh air and deeper mechanics. There is still a long way to go to see if the throne will change hands for good, but what is unquestionable is that, for the first time in more than a decade, players have a real, solid and ambitious alternative capable of going head to head with the King of Blocks.