Daily Archives: June 24, 2025

Games, Gaming, News

The Fall of Hytale: How Riot Games Closed Hypixel Studios After a Decade-Long Journey

On June 23, 2025, Riot Games stunned the gaming world by announcing the cancellation of Hytale and the winding down of Hypixel Studios after ten years of development. What began as one of the most ambitious sandbox RPG projects—backed by a studio renowned for its record-breaking Minecraft minigame server—came to an abrupt end as its creators conceded they couldn’t deliver the experience they’d long envisioned.

From Modders to AAA Dreamers: The Origin Story

Hypixel Studios was founded by the team behind Hypixel, the most popular Minecraft server of all time. In 2015, Riot Games injected initial funding to help the fledgling studio expand beyond community-made minigames into a standalone title. Five years later, in 2020, Riot acquired the studio outright, pledging full support for Hytale’s development and granting access to resources commensurate with a AAA roadmap.

Revealed to the public in 2018, Hytale promised procedurally generated fantasy biomes, moddable tools, and integrated RPG mechanics. Under the hood, the team first wrote the engine in C#, then ported it to C++ for performance—and later initiated a full engine reboot to meet rising ambitions. Despite these major overhauls, the game remained in pre-beta as of mid-2024, with critical systems still incomplete. Each milestone revealed fresh technical hurdles, and as the genre evolved, fans’ expectations soared ever higher.

Why Hytale Couldn’t Cross the Finish Line

As Hypixel’s co-founder Aaron “Noxy” Donaghey explained, the crux of the issue was mission creep. Every attempt to pare back features or adjust timelines threatened to dilute Hytale’s core identity. The team explored narrowing the scope and securing external investment, but each workaround risked creating a game “unrecognizable from its original pitch.” In the end, they concluded that finishing a compromised version would betray both their vision and their community’s hopes.

With cancellation came difficult news for the people behind the project. Riot laid off roughly 150 Hypixel Studios employees, offering generous severance packages and career support to help ease the transition. While precise numbers vary, insiders report that close to a hundred and a half developers, artists, and engineers saw their positions end as part of the studio wind-down.

The Legacy of Hypixel Lives On

Although Hytale itself will never launch, the original Hypixel Minecraft server remains in operation under separate management, continuing to host millions of daily players. Its enduring popularity stands as a testament to the team’s creativity—even if their most ambitious project ultimately proved too vast to complete under current constraints.

Fans reacted with a mixture of disappointment and understanding. Social media filled with tributes to early Hytale trailers and heartfelt thanks to the development team. At the same time, industry analysts pointed to the cancellation as yet another example of the risks inherent in modern AAA development: unchecked scope can derail even the most well-funded projects.

The story of Hytale serves as a cautionary tale for developers and publishers alike: vision without pragmatic execution can collapse under its own weight. Yet the passion and ingenuity that defined Hypixel Studios will leave a lasting mark on sandbox gaming—and perhaps inform the next generation of creators who dare to dream big.

Featured, Games, Gaming, News, PC, Xbox

Xbox trying new frontiers this summer along with Meta

In a week already brimming with gaming news, Xbox has dropped two announcements that signal its evolving strategy in both digital storefronts and immersive gaming. Whether you’re a preservationist watching the digital tide with cautious optimism or a tech enthusiast eager for the next frontier, there’s something here worth unpacking.

A New Era for Xbox on PC?

Xbox has quietly begun testing a dedicated PC store experience, a move that could reshape how players interact with the Xbox ecosystem outside of consoles. While details remain sparse, early testers report a streamlined interface, faster downloads, and a more curated approach to game discovery. This isn’t just a UI refresh—it’s a signal that Microsoft is taking the PC storefront war seriously, potentially positioning itself as a more direct competitor to Steam and Epic Games.

For those of us who’ve watched the slow erosion of physical media, this raises important questions. Will this new store offer better ownership models? Will it respect the archival needs of players who want to preserve their libraries long-term? If Xbox can strike a balance between convenience and consumer respect, it could set a new standard for digital storefronts.

The Meta Quest 3S Xbox Edition: A Collector’s Delight or Cloud Gaming Trojan Horse?

Meanwhile, in a more visually striking reveal, Xbox and Meta have teamed up to launch the Meta Quest 3S Xbox Edition—a limited-edition VR headset that blends Xbox’s iconic black-and-green aesthetic with Meta’s latest mixed reality tech.

At $399.99 USD, the bundle includes:

  • A custom 128GB Meta Quest 3S in Carbon Black with Velocity Green accents
  • Matching Touch Plus controllers
  • A limited-edition Xbox Wireless Controller
  • Meta Quest Elite Strap
  • 3 months of Meta Horizon+
  • 3 months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate

While the hardware itself mirrors the standard Quest 3S, the real draw is its seamless integration with Xbox Cloud Gaming. Players can stream titles like Avowed or Oblivion Remastered on a massive virtual screen, with cross-progression ensuring your saves follow you across devices.

But let’s be clear: this isn’t a VR headset for Xbox console gaming. It’s a cloud-first device, and that distinction matters. For collectors, the limited-edition design is undeniably slick. For skeptics, it’s another step toward a future where physical ownership is replaced by streaming licenses and subscription cycles.

These two announcements—one about infrastructure, the other about hardware—paint a picture of Xbox’s ambitions. They’re not just building a console brand anymore; they’re building a platform that spans screens, devices, and realities. Whether that future respects the legacy of physical media or accelerates its obsolescence remains to be seen.

But one thing’s for sure: Xbox is playing the long game. And for those of us who care about how games are played, preserved, and passed down, it’s a game worth watching.

CyberBoxTV, Gaming, Review

Review: Death Stranding 2 — Kojima’s Legacy Taken to the Max

Following his split with Konami, Hideo Kojima attempted to distance himself from the Metal Gear Solid legacy with the release of Death Stranding. However, he failed to completely disassociate himself, and Death Stranding 2 is the definitive proof of that. This sequel takes the best of Metal Gear Solid V and fuses it with the foundations of the first game to deliver an ambitious, intense experience brimming with the director’s signature style.

This time, we once again accompany Sam Bridges on his mission to reconnect Australia with the rest of the world. But, unlike the first game, the threat isn’t just isolation: an enemy from the past returns, accompanied by new allies that will force the player to take a more aggressive stance. While package transport is still present, the focus is now on infiltration, combat, and tactical raids.

The arsenal is varied, with lethal and non-lethal weapons that transform the game into an open-world espionage title. All of this is complemented by extensive cinematics and fights against extravagant bosses: cybernetic ninjas, mechanical octopuses, and giant dinosaur-like robots, among many other surprises that will delight fans of the Japanese creator.

In addition, RPG mechanics are integrated that allow Sam to improve his skills, whether in combat, stealth, or even as a delivery driver. Death Stranding 2 is a discarded homage to Metal Gear, but also an evolution of his own ideas.

The result is a colossal, ambitious, and, above all, satisfying game for those of us who have closely followed Kojima’s career. Death Stranding 2 is the perfect closing to a period and the beginning of a new era for the creator.

CyberBoxTV, Gaming, Review

Rematch Review — Soccer Never Felt So Realistic

The creators of Sifu decided to move away from martial arts and embark on a completely different project: Rematch, a soccer simulator with a competitive multiplayer focus. This offering features realistic gameplay in a third-person perspective, where every action—from kicking to passing the ball—must be executed entirely manually. There’s no automation here; everything depends on your precision, reflexes, and strategy.

The learning curve is demanding. Mastering the controls can be frustrating at first, but with dedication and practice, it becomes an addictive experience. When you manage to score a goal on your own, the adrenaline rush is comparable to what Rocket League offered in its day.

However, the content is sparse. The game only features 3v3, 4v4, and 5v5 modes, which severely limits its gameplay. Furthermore, relying on your teammates can be a double-edged sword: if one decides not to cooperate, you’re likely to lose the match. Each match ends after four goals or five minutes of play, offering quick but repetitive encounters.

The most questionable aspect is its business model. Despite costing $30, Rematch includes an additional $10 Battle Pass if you want to unlock cosmetics, digital currency, or logos. Real-player skins are also available, but their prices are excessive.

Rematch has an excellent gameplay base and an interesting proposition, but the limited content and unnecessary trading mechanics mar the experience. With more modes, a better structure, and without aggressive monetization policies, it could have been a true gem.

3/5