Originally deriving from Minecraft, web3 UGC platform Hytopia has announced it’s ending the development on its Minecraft-compatible client. Instead it will become a fully independent platform with its own game client, Hytopia Proper, which was initially planned to run parallel to the Minecraft client.
As a quick recap, Hytopia originated as NFT Worlds in October 2021, with the intention to enable users to put their Minecraft creations and assets onchain. Following the project’s early success, Minecraft banned blockchain, which resulted in NFT Worlds rebuilding its tech stack and rebranding to Hytopia. This was further followed by the migration of its entire platform from Polygon to Arbitrum in late 2023.
In the official announcement, the team explains that working on Minecraft compatibility is a “never-ending race”, in addition to the substantial funds required. But instead of viewing the pivot as a setback, the team says it remains excited.
“In just a few weeks, we’ve added block entity support, dynamic camera controls, heavy graphics optimizations, and larger map sizes. The pace of innovation is staggering compared to what we achieved under Minecraft’s shadow.”
In terms of the new platform, it will offer the same browser-based UI, as well as UGC tools, server list and marketplace. The main difference is that Hytopia will be its own full-stack platform, completely independent from Minecraft servers. This also means it can offer higher development speed, improving processes like creating multiplayer games with its SDK.
Another reason for the pivot is the team’s growing concern over the increased number of Microsoft IP accounts following its GitHub repos. “They were clearly keeping an eye on us”, the team explains, adding “when dealing with a company as large and powerful as Microsoft, you are powerless in a legal battle, even if you’re in the right.”
You can read the full announcement here >>
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