A Hytale copycat game, titled Hytale: Sandbox RPG, is now the target of legal action, according to Hypixel Studios CEO Simon Collins-Laflamme on social media. The copycat RPG that shares the name and likeness of Hytale appeared on the Nintendo eShop earlier in April, though the Switch title has no actual association with Hypixel Studios’ hit open-world sandbox game.
Although Hytale itself was derived from the popular Minecraft server called Hypixel, the Hytale IP was sold to Riot Games in 2020. After Riot Games canceled Hytale and closed Hypixel Studios, Collins-Laflamme repurchased the IP and studio for an undisclosed amount. Following its January 2026 launch in early access, Hytale has become one of the top indie game releases of 2026 so far. With new patches released periodically, Hytale‘s early access development will continue for the foreseeable future.
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Buyer Beware: a Hytale Knock-Off is on the Nintendo eShop
However, the resurgence of Hytale has also made it the target of a studio known for making copycat games on other platforms as a way to deceive players. The false game title in question is called Hypixel: Sandbox RPG, which launched on the Nintendo eShop on April 10. The developer of the copycat title is RoVi Ninen, which has no affiliation with Hypixel Studios whatsoever. Hytale: Sandbox RPG has some images that appear similar to the key art featured in Hytale, which could deceive and mislead eShop users into thinking that Hytale has been ported to Nintendo consoles. Simon Collins-Laflamme stated on Twitter that Hypixel Studios’ legal team was handling the case, and did not elaborate further on it.
Despite the ongoing legal investigation by Hypixel Studios, RoVi Ninen’s Hytale: Sandbox RPG is still available on the Nintendo eShop as of this writing, and is currently priced at $4.99 until April 24. Although the discounted price of Hytale: Sandbox RPG is a quarter of the official Hytale standard edition price of $19.99, users should bear in mind that the official release of Hytale by Hypixel Studios is only available on Windows, macOS, and Linux PCs. Ergo, there are currently no plans to port Hytale to consoles. Despite the low price, Hytale: Sandbox RPG has not appeared on Nintendo’s best-selling games chart as of this writing. Titles such as Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream, Pokemon Pokopia, and Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen are currently dominating the Nintendo eShop charts in the US.
The Hytale Copycat Creators Have Done This Before
This is not the first time that the creators of Hytale: Sandbox RPG have listed games that are similar to other indie titles. Following the launch and subsequent success of Panik Arcade’s indie title CloverPit, RoVi Ninen released Coin Pit, a similar-sounding coin game. This prompted Panik Arcade to issue warnings to not purchase the knock-off title during its iOS release in September 2025. Panik Arcade issued a separate warning during Coin Pit‘s January 2026 resurgence on the Nintendo eShop. CloverPit is currently available on PC and mobile devices, and its only console ports are for Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S. Like Hytale, CloverPit has not announced any plans for Nintendo consoles as of this writing.
Guess the games from the emojis.
Guess the games from the emojis.
Easy (120s)Medium (90s)Hard (60s)
As for Hytale itself, Hypixel Studios released Hytale‘s fourth major early access update in late March, bringing a slew of new features for players to try out. With more features such as friend lists and server discovery in development, it remains to be seen what else Hytale‘s next content patch will offer.
- Released
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January 13, 2026
- Developer(s)
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Hypixel Studios
- Publisher(s)
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Hypixel Studios
- Multiplayer
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Online Multiplayer, Online Co-Op
Source: Automaton
