Tag: games

  • Join the Movement: Become a HYTOPIA Scout Today!

    Join the Movement: Become a HYTOPIA Scout Today!

    At HYTOPIA, we believe the next generation of iconic games won’t come from massive corporations, but from small, ambitious studios building in the open. They are the creative heart of the gaming ecosystem, and we want to empower them.

    But finding these hidden gems is a mission we can’t do alone. That’s why we’re launching the HYTOPIA Scout Program, a program that invites you – our community’s sharpest creators, players, and connectors – to become our trusted partners in building the future of gaming.

    Register now to become a HYTOPIA Scout Today!

    What is a HYTOPIA Scout?

    A HYTOPIA Scout is someone who is well-connected in the Roblox and Minecraft circles and has a clear eye for talent. As a Scout, you are an extension of our founding team. You help us find and champion the studios destined to build the first legendary experiences on HYTOPIA.

    What We Look For: The Ideal Studio

    Your mission is to find studios for our Creator Fund. We are looking for teams that fit the following profile:

    • Proven Gaming Experience: They’ve run at least one game on a platform like Roblox with >5 million visits or a mobile app with >500k downloads. They know how to operate a live service.
    • Multiplayer Pedigree: They have shipped multiplayer games and understand how to build strong social dynamics.
    • Clear Design Thesis: They have a compelling vision for a high-retention game (e.g., MMO, simulation, tycoon) with a sustainable economy.
    • Technical Readiness: The team includes developers with TypeScript/JavaScript and modelling experience, ready to build on HYTOPIA.

    How The Scout League Works

    We’ve made participating simple, transparent, and rewarding.

    1. Register for the program: Instantly join the league by signing up. You don’t need a unique link.
    2. Wait for an email approval: After you complete the form, you will receive a formal approval from our team. Only approved scouts will get the rewards for referring studios.
    3. Spread the Word & Refer: Refer promising studios and ask them to put your full name in the referral section when they fill out the application form. Every lead that comes through with your name will be tracked back to you.
    4. Earn: You earn a percentage of the team’s grant amount if they are selected for the program.

    Reward Structure

    There is no limit on the number of studios you can refer or the total amount earned by a single scout.

    Reward Structure for HYTOPIA Scout Program

    Why Join the Scout League?

    • Earn Meaningful Rewards: Get paid directly for referring studios that get selected for our grant program.
    • Build Your Reputation: Gain status as a key player in the HYTOPIA ecosystem. We celebrate our top scouts publicly, giving you a platform to build your brand.
    • Shape the Future: You are on the front lines, directly influencing which flagship games get built and helping to define the future of our platform.

    Rules for Scouts

    1. Mass emailing is prohibited.
      You are not allowed to send cold emails, as it will have a direct conflict with our internal BD team. If anyone is found sending cold emails or mass emails, they will be disqualified from the program.
    2. LinkedIn / Twitter outreach is prohibited.
      You are not allowed to do cold Linkedin/Twitter outreach as it will have a direct conflict with our internal BD team. If anyone is found violating this rule, they will be disqualified from the program.
    3. Can I say that I work for HYTOPIA?
      No. You are strictly prohibited from representing yourself as an employee, agent, or official representative of HYTOPIA. You are an independent member of a community program. You CAN identify yourself as a “HYTOPIA Scout” or a “Member of the HYTOPIA Scout Program.” You CANNOT use titles like “HYTOPIA Partner” or “HYTOPIA Business Development.” Violating the above rule will lead to disqualification.
    4. How should I contact studios then?
      You should only leverage your existing network and relationships. You CANNOT send mass unsolicited emails (spam) or send any communication that implies you are acting on behalf of HYTOPIA. You should only reach out to people in your direct circle and not send cold emails or cold outreaches. If anyone is found violating this, you will be disqualified immediately.
    5. Are there restrictions on what I can promise to studios?
      Yes. You CANNOT guarantee that a studio will be selected for the Creator Fund or receive a grant. You also cannot exaggerate the benefits or make false promises about the program. Your role is to connect us with great teams; the selection process is handled entirely by the HYTOPIA Creator Fund Committee.
    6. How are my referrals tracked?
      Your referrals are tracked exclusively through your full name. When a studio applies for the Creator Fund, it must enter your name in the designated referral field on the application form. It is your responsibility to ensure they do this correctly.
    7. What if a studio I referred, forgets to add my name?
      Unfortunately, we can only track referrals that are submitted through the official application form. We cannot manually attribute referrals after the fact, so please remind your contacts to include your name during their application.
    8. When do I get paid?
      All payments are processed at the end of the month and paid out within 30 days of the qualifying event (Selection or Launch), provided you have supplied a valid paypal address.
    9. Is there a limit to how many studios I can refer or how much I can earn?
      No. There is no cap on the number of successful referrals you can make or the total rewards you can earn. We encourage you to bring as many high-quality studios to HYTOPIA as you can find.
    10. Where can I find materials to help me refer studios?
      After you are approved for the program, you will be invited to a private Telegram group where you will get access to a Scout Kit. This includes talking points, brand assets, and other materials to help you connect with teams professionally.

    Become a HYTOPIA Scout Today!

  • Exciting Updates in HYTOPIA: SDK, Creator Fund, and More

    Exciting Updates in HYTOPIA: SDK, Creator Fund, and More

    Gm HYTOPIA community! We’ve been busy this week shipping some exciting updates across our platform. From major SDK enhancements to launching our creator fund, here’s everything new in the HYTOPIA ecosystem.

    SDK Gets Major Upgrades

    Our development team has been hard at work making HYTOPIA more powerful and accessible for creators.

    New Developer Tools

    • Public Telemetry Settings – Developers can now integrate their own analytics providers
    • Three.JS Exposure – Direct access to Three.JS for advanced UI customization
    • GLTFLoader Integration – Streamlined 3D model loading for creators

    Performance & Quality of Life

    • Windows Developer Support – Made Mediasoup optional to simplify Windows development workflows
    • Optimized Physics – Environmental entities now skip unnecessary collision checks for better performance
    • Audio System Fixes – Resolved multiple issues that caused audio to suddenly stop
    • Visual Improvements – Fixed face culling issues with transparent blocks

    We’re also researching WebTransport integration for true UDP datagrams without head-of-line blocking – a technical upgrade that could significantly improve real-time gaming performance.

    Creator Fund Goes Live

    We’re thrilled to announce the launch of HYTOPIA Creator Fund, specifically designed for established studios looking to build flagship experiences on HYTOPIA.

    Image promoting the HYTOPIA Creator Fund, featuring two characters in a pixel-art style, one wearing a strawberry hat and the other in a green frog costume, with the text 'HYTOPIA CREATOR FUND: Build flagship gaming experiences on HYTOPIA' and a colorful logo.

    Ready to apply? Check out all the details at creatorfund.hytopia.com

    Farcaster Integration Progress

    We’ve been exploring Farcaster apps as a potential distribution channel and made significant progress this week. While we’ve hit some external blockers (landscape mode limitations and gesture conflicts), we’re actively working with Farcaster to resolve these issues. This could open up exciting new ways for players to discover HYTOPIA games.

    Enhanced Gaming Experience

    New Features for Players

    • Play Counter System – Games now track total plays across all sessions
    • Smart Game Sorting – Games will soon be ranked by popularity (currently in testing)
    • Play Count Display – Game cards will show total plays (rolling out soon)
    • Improved Gallery – Media no longer repeats in game galleries

    Coming SoonGame reviews! Players will be able to rate and review games they’ve played, helping boost their favorites and giving creators valuable feedback.

    Platform Improvements

    Creator Experience

    • Email Notifications – Creators now receive updates about game submissions, approvals, and rejections
    • Better Feedback – Game rejections now require detailed reasons from reviewers

    Technical Infrastructure

    • Item System – New read-only flags for NFT-tied items and improved collection queries
    • Marketplace Analytics – Enhanced tracking for item page views and sales data
    • World Editor Research – Ongoing improvements to environment model handling and skybox options

    Fresh Content & Assets

    Our art team has been incredibly productive this week

    New Animations & Cosmetics:

    • 11 new player animations
    • Updated crouch animation
    • Summer Straw Hat cosmetic

    Environmental Assets

    • 19 city-themed assets: bicycles, park benches, fire hydrants, parking meters, trash cans, and more
    • 9 volcano-themed assets: burnt trees, obsidian formations, and other apocalyptic elements
    A 3D model of a dead tree with a textured dark bark and irregularly shaped branches, primarily designed for use in gaming or virtual environments.
    A collection of three stylized crystalline formations in red and yellow colors, set on a gray base.
    A stylized 3D model of three purple and pink crystals arranged together on a gray base.
    Three stylized blocks of different shapes and sizes with a reddish-brown texture featuring bright yellow and orange veins, set against a gray background.

    Coming Next: More armor sets for player customization

    What’s Next

    We’re continuing to push the boundaries of what’s possible, with our creator fund now live, enhanced development tools, and continuous platform improvements, we’re building the foundation for the next generation of social gaming experiences.

    Ready to start building?

    Have feedback on these updates or ideas for future features? We’d love to hear from you in our Discord community!

  • HYTOPIA Creator Fund: Build Flagship Gaming Experiences on HYTOPIA

    HYTOPIA Creator Fund: Build Flagship Gaming Experiences on HYTOPIA

    Today, we’re thrilled to announce HYTOPIA Creator Fund, our flagship developer program designed to bring the most innovative and engaging gaming experiences to our platform. Over the next three months, we’re partnering with 5-10 battle-tested studios to showcase the true power of what’s possible to build on HYTOPIA.

    Why HYTOPIA Creator Fund?

    The gaming industry’s next breakthrough won’t come from incremental improvements to existing platforms, it will emerge from creators and teams bold enough to build on fundamentally new foundations. HYTOPIA Creator Fund partners with these pioneering teams and creators , providing not just funding but the comprehensive support needed to push creative boundaries. Our platform enables limitless gameplay experiences, while our community-first approach ensures your innovations reach players for fresh experiences. We’re not just launching games; we’re establishing flagship titles that will attract the next generation of creators and players to this ecosystem.

    What We’re Offering

    Non-dilutive Milestone Grants Receive upto $25k in non-dilutive grant per team depending upon the teams background and experience, in stages as you hit development milestones, ensuring continuous progress and support throughout your project lifecycle.

    Bespoke Engineering Support Get direct access to our engineering team through a dedicated slack channel. No more waiting in support queues, when you hit a roadblock, we’re there to help you push through.

    GTM & Creator Network Your game launch won’t go unnoticed. Get a launchpad and bespoke GTM support from our team to grow your title. Be it social media support, GTM support or helping you get preferential visibility in our distribution channels.

    Preferred Revenue Rates Get preferential revenue share agreements to the tune of 75-25 exclusively for this cohort of grantees. Plus, you retain full IP rights to your game and assets. We’re here to amplify your success, not own it.

    Who We’re Looking For

    We’re seeking studios with:

    • Proven track record: ≥ 1 game with > 10 M lifetime plays on Roblox or a mobile game with 100k+ downloads
    • Technical capacity: 1 modeler, 1 experienced Javascript/Typescript developer, 1 animator working on the project.

    The HYTOPIA Advantage

    • Build for Everyone, Everywhere: Cross-platform access with no coding barriers for any skill level
    • Code Smart, Deploy Fast: Universal compatibility with quick development and iteration
    • Everything You Need, Built-In: Simplified 3D creation with complete hosting and API infrastructure included

    What sets HYTOPIA apart isn’t just our technology, it’s our commitment to the ‘build in public’ philosophy. Selected studios will share their development journey through regular dev-logs, engage with our community through alpha testing, and create compelling content that builds anticipation for their launches. This transparency doesn’t just build better games; it builds stronger communities around your creations.

    Ready to Lead the Charge?

    We’re looking for studios ready to push boundaries, embrace innovation, and help define the future of gaming. The application window is open now.

    You can apply here: https://creatorfund.hytopia.com/

    The gaming industry is evolving rapidly, and the studios that will thrive are those willing to embrace new platforms and push creative boundaries. HYTOPIA Creator Fund isn’t just an opportunity, it’s your chance to be among the first to shape what comes next.

    We can’t wait to see what you’ll build.

    For more questions about the program, visit our website https://creatorfund.hytopia.com/

  • Latest Development Updates: Performance and Tools

    Latest Development Updates: Performance and Tools

    We’re excited to share some significant updates from our development team this week. Our focus has been on performance optimization, new creative tools, and expanding our platform capabilities.

    Performance & Optimization

    This week brought major performance improvements across the board. We’ve implemented an optimized allocation pool that dramatically reduces server-side stutters – games like Frontiers are seeing substantial improvements in smooth gameplay.

    We’ve also upgraded our chunk system with several key enhancements:

    • Faster collision detection – Chunks now use optimized voxel-specific colliders
    • Improved rendering – Opaque chunks are now processed more efficiently, reducing transparency issues
    • Physics optimization – Chunk collision meshes are now attached to fixed rigid bodies, significantly reducing physics processing time

    New Creative Tools

    Particle System Enhancements

    Our particle emitters just got much more powerful with new .pause(), .restart(), and .burst() methods. The burst feature will be perfect for effects like grenade explosions and hit indicators. We’ve also added sizeStart and sizeEnd options for more dynamic particle animations.

    Enhanced Block Rendering

    We’re introducing support for opaque blocks with alpha testing – perfect for creating realistic transparent materials like glass blocks.

    Game Improvements

    Frontiers Updates

    • Optimized environmental entity collisions for smoother gameplay
    • Fixed flower collision issues in Chitter Forest
    • Temporarily adjusted enemy behavior to prevent performance issues from excessive item drops

    Platform Infrastructure

    Migration

    We’ve successfully migrated our entire item system (marketplace, locker, lootboxes, and promotional items) from HYCHAIN to Base’s Sepolia testnet. This transition improves reliability and performance across all item-related features.

    Quality Assurance Process

    To ensure the best user experience, we’re implementing a new QA workflow for frontend updates. This means features will be thoroughly tested by both developers and designers before going live.

    Developer Experience

    • Game hosting improvements with better asset replication and ARM64 server support
    • Marketplace performance boost with ~30% faster query times
    • Create tool fixes to ensure Featured game tags are properly maintained
    • Locker enhancements with centered player models and improved rotation controls

    New Assets

    Our art team has been busy creating new content:

    • Chicken eating animation
    • Farming tools (iron watering can and hoe)
    A pixelated white watering can and a brown hoe against a dark brick background.
    • Bee models (baby and adult versions)
    3D rendered pixel art of a yellow beehive and two stylized bees, set against a dark background.
    • 12 new crop types including blueberry, corn, cotton, pumpkin, sunflower, and wheat – each with 5 growth stages
    • Improved wind animations (now called ‘idle’ animations for SDK compatibility)

    What’s Next?

    We’re continuing to work on transparency rendering improvements and exploring new ways to enhance the development experience. Thank you for your continued support and feedback – it helps us prioritize the features that matter most to our community.

    Stay tuned for more updates next week!

  • Weekly Product Update: Particle Systems, Zero-Downtime Hosting, and Major Platform Improvements

    Weekly Product Update: Particle Systems, Zero-Downtime Hosting, and Major Platform Improvements

    This week brought significant advances across our entire platform, from the first particle system implementation to revolutionary zero-downtime hosting upgrades. Here’s everything new in our ecosystem.

    SDK & Client Improvements

    Particle Systems Are Here! We’ve implemented initial particle support in the client, with server-side APIs coming soon. This opens up exciting possibilities for visual effects, from magical spells to environmental ambiance.

    We’ve also squashed several critical bugs:

    • Fixed click events for Safari and other WebKit browsers
    • Resolved “WebGL Context Lost” errors when switching worlds
    • Fixed touch events on mobile devices’ left screen area
    • Eliminated player duplication issues in Frontiers

    Our client has also gotten more polite—it now properly closes server connections instead of abruptly cutting them off. We’re also researching advanced shadow rendering for off-screen objects and giving creators fog control options.

    A player character stands in a grassy area surrounded by trees and stone ruins, with a HUD displaying health, level, and inventory.

    Developer Support

    Introducing the HYTOPIA SDK Help Bot! Developers can now get instant help with SDK questions directly in our Discord’s game-dev-hub channel. This bot is specifically trained on our engine’s internals and documentation, providing immediate solutions and answers to technical questions.

    No more waiting for human responses or digging through docs, just ask the bot and get expert-level assistance instantly. This represents a major step forward in developer support and should dramatically speed up your development workflow.

    Screenshot of the HYTOPIA Discord server's game-dev-hub channel, showcasing communication and assistance for developers utilizing the HYTOPIA SDK Help Bot.

    Frontiers Game Evolution

    Combat & Balance Updates:

    • Enemy health regeneration prevents exploitative “death-cheese” strategies
    • Sword special attacks now deal more damage with increased knockback but longer cooldowns
    • Healing potions are now cheaper to encourage strategic use

    User Experience:

    • HUD tooltips provide helpful context throughout the interface
    • Mobile-optimized crafting and merchant interfaces for smoother gameplay
    • A massive new region releasing very soon

    We’ve also fixed item pickup detection and eliminated race conditions in player state loading for more reliable gameplay.

    World Editor Power Tools

    Terrain Painting is now live! Select the mountain icon under Placement Size/Shape to try this game-changing feature that lets you sculpt landscapes naturally.

    Block Replacement Tool allows creators to swap selected blocks for different types, with configurable random weights for variety. Perfect for quickly changing materials across large areas.

    Quality of Life Improvements:

    • Tools reset to default state when switching tabs
    • Improved toolbar layout with new swap menu
    • Enhanced tooltip behavior
    • Fixed undo/redo for line strokes

    Authentication & Wallet Integration

    We’re building the foundation for comprehensive user management:

    • API key creation coming soon to the Create website
    • Wallet management page in development (not yet live)
    • Privy integration for external wallet support

    These features will give creators and players more control over their accounts and assets.

    Platform Enhancements

    Play Platform

    • Responsive design improvements with better name truncation and mobile featured image display
    • Extended HTML support now allows symbols like &, <, and >
    • Safari compatibility fixes for button interactions
    • UI consistency improvements across game overlays

    Create Platform

    • Real-time feedback for image aspect ratio issues
    • Improved save behavior for better consistency across form fields
    • Critical bug fixes that previously required page refreshes

    Revolutionary Hosting Upgrades

    Zero-Downtime Instance Upgrades are now possible! When we need to update servers, old instances keep running until all players naturally leave, then seamlessly transition to new ones. No more forced disconnections.

    ARM64 Support allows us to use more cost-effective instances with equal or better performance, savings we can pass on to creators.

    Crash Recovery means game servers automatically restart if they encounter issues, instead of destroying the entire lobby session.

    Performance Optimizations:

    • Dramatically reduced internet bandwidth usage for instance management
    • Added comprehensive telemetry for match creation and queue monitoring
    • Simplified architecture for better reliability
    • Fixed caching issues that served outdated files

    Save States Progress

    Our simplified save state system is taking shape with new endpoints for loading, bulk updating, and deleting player data. We’ve also implemented the JavaScript package that will integrate with the SDK, making save state management as easy as working with regular objects.

    Load testing is showing promising results for performance at scale.

    Items & Economy

    Item Burning is now fully functional—burn lootboxes to receive loot, burn bundles to get their contents, and more. We’ve also fixed contract address formatting to ensure proper checksum compliance.

    Fresh Assets & Art

    Our art team delivered an impressive array of new content:

    New Models:

    • Alchemy table for magical crafting setups
    A pixelated treasure chest containing various items: a red potion, a purple potion, a book, and pieces of food.
    • HYTOPIA banner and wooden table for world decoration
    A pixel art wooden table with wooden planks as the surface and four sturdy legs.
    • Complete dungeon kit: gates, fences, coins, and crates
    Pixel art representation of a textured wall panel with alternating sections of light and dark gray patterns, featuring vertical green accents.
    Three wooden crate models, including one barrel and two rectangular boxes, rendered in a pixelated video game style.
    Three pixel art blocks stacked in different configurations, featuring yellow and brown colors, resembling honeycomb or a sweet dessert.
    Pixel art illustration of a pair of decorative metal gates with vertical bars and ornate toppers.
    • Marker model for world navigation
    Pixelated red banner with a yellow emblem and decorative edges, shown in two sizes.

    Visual Upgrades:

    • Shiny new armor replaces the old rusty versions
    A pixel art character dressed in shiny armor, holding a wooden shield and wooden sword, with a flame-like plume on the helmet.
    • Redesigned test sword and shield with improved aesthetics
    • Refreshed promotional hats for Android and iOS platforms
    A 3D pixel art character model wearing a red apple hat with a green stem, styled in a minimalistic environment. The character has green eyes and is depicted standing on a grid.
    3D character model wearing a green frog hat, white shirt, and blue jeans, rendered on a dark background.

    Research Projects:

    • Default schematics for the world builder (like pre-built trees)
    • Transparent tree leaves for more realistic forests
    A blocky character stands in a grassy landscape, facing a large, pixelated tree and rocky terrain under a blue sky.

    Looking Ahead

    With particle systems landing, zero-downtime hosting now possible, and instant SDK support available through our Discord bot, we’re entering an exciting phase where creators can build more ambitious experiences without worrying about technical limitations. The upcoming save states API will make persistent game worlds simpler than ever.

    We’re grateful for the community’s continued feedback and engagement. These updates directly reflect your suggestions and bug reports—keep them coming!

    Ready to build? Check out the new terrain painting tools in the World Editor, or join the Frontiers Discord for the latest game updates.

  • What’s New This Week at HYTOPIA: Performance Optimizations

    What’s New This Week at HYTOPIA: Performance Optimizations

    We’ve been incredibly busy this week shipping improvements across our entire platform. From major SDK performance optimizations to exciting new features like simplified save states and global leaderboards, here’s everything that’s new.

    SDK Performance & Features

    Our development team has been laser-focused on performance this week. We’ve added new helper functions that make it easier to work with entity dimensions, introduced environmental entity marking for better performance (these entities skip unnecessary processing), and completely revamped our network synchronization to use memory more efficiently.

    One highlight: particles now stick to their movement paths. This means when you attach a smoke emitter to a vehicle’s exhaust, you’ll get that realistic trailing effect you’d expect. The particle system is currently under review and should be live soon!

    We’ve also fixed a critical issue with world switching for managed hosts and optimized event routing throughout the platform.

    Frontiers Game Updates

    Frontiers continues to evolve with substantial new content and systems:

    New Content & Regions:

    • Weavers Hollow – An entirely new region to explore
    • Environmental variety with new models (including some cheeky additions to the Ratkin Nest)
    • Wearable equipment: hoods, leggings, gloves, and boots
    • Interactive cobwebs that slow player movement

    Core Systems:

    • Crafting system now live at the Stalkhaven blacksmith
    • Item damage modifiers for weapons (better gear = more damage)
    • Leveling system improvements with health increases per level
    • Enhanced tooltips across the UI for better user experience
    Frontier’s Tool Tips
    Frontier’s crafting

    We’ve also launched a dedicated Discord server and X Page for Frontiers players to stay connected and get real-time updates.

    World Editor Enhancements

    Content creators get powerful new tools this week:

    • ZIP file import support for easier asset management
    • AI schematic builder now includes environment models in builds
    • Improved stability across all AI-powered features
    • New terrain building tools currently in research

    Infrastructure & Hosting

    Behind the scenes, we’ve significantly upgraded our hosting infrastructure:

    • Larger instance sizes providing more resources for every game
    • Research into zero-downtime upgrades for scaling instances and updating systems
    • More robust game hosting capabilities overall

    Revolutionary New Features

    Save States – Simplified

    Based on community feedback, we’re completely reimagining how player data persistence works. Our new system will be as simple as working with regular JavaScript objects:

    js// Add or update player data
player.persistedData.health = 20;
player.persistedData.inventory = [{id: "wooden-sword", amount: 1}];

// To delete fields
player.persistedData.inventory = undefined;
OR
delete player.persistedData.inventory;

    We handle all the complex loading, saving, and race condition management behind the scenes.

    Global Leaderboards

    We’re solving one of game development’s trickiest problems: global leaderboards that actually scale. Our new system addresses the challenges of:

    • Multiple servers updating simultaneously
    • Expensive real-time calculations
    • Unnecessary data transfer
    • Implementation complexity

    Soon you’ll be able to create leaderboards through our dashboard, submit scores via the SDK, and we’ll handle all the technical complexity.

    Items & Economy

    Our items system received major upgrades:

    • Gasless item burning – burn lootboxes to get loot, burn bundles to get items
    • New endpoints for tracking item relationships and collections
    • Promotional item dispensers for platform-specific rewards (Android & iOS hats)
    • Improved caching and performance monitoring

    Character Customization

    The Locker system now supports:

    • Hair hiding flags for items that conflict with hairstyles
    • Rebuilt inventory tab using our latest APIs
    • Fully functional character settings
    • Smoother player preview without flickering or cutoff issues

    Assets & Animation

    Our art team delivered:

    • New shield blocking animations
    • Dancing animation for pig models
    • Interactive chest models with opening animations
    • Fixed positioning for platform-specific cosmetics

    What’s Next?

    We’re continuing research on dungeon doors, candle models, and advanced terrain tools. Keep an eye out for more save states and leaderboards documentation coming soon.

    As always, we’re grateful for the community feedback that drives these improvements. Keep the suggestions coming!

  • HYTOPIA Weekly Developments: New Features and Enhancements

    HYTOPIA Weekly Developments: New Features and Enhancements

    Good morning, builders, creators and developers!

    This week has been absolutely packed with game-changing updates across every corner of the HYTOPIA ecosystem. From powerful new SDK features to major Frontiers expansions, we’re seeing the platform mature into the comprehensive game development solution we’ve always envisioned.

    SDK: Unleashing Developer Power

    Our SDK continues to evolve with features that give developers remarkable control and flexibility:

    Event System

    • Global Event Router: Developers can now hook directly into player and world manager events, enabling deep integration with platform systems
    • Custom Events: Define your own custom events while maintaining full type safety – perfect for complex game mechanics and inter-system communication
    • Enhanced Flexibility: Show specific glTF meshes even when they’re in the hidden list, giving granular control over what players see

    Visual Effects Breakthrough

    • Particles System: The initial implementation of our particles system is here! This opens up possibilities for everything from magical spell effects to environmental ambiance and combat feedback

    Core Improvements

    • Latest Player Model: Updated to our newest player model with enhanced capabilities
    • Camera Fixes: Resolved issues with the player camera’s lookAt method for smoother visual experiences

    These SDK improvements are the foundation that makes everything else possible!

    Frontiers: A Living, Breathing World

    Our flagship MMORPG continues to showcase what’s achievable with HYTOPIA, adding major new systems and content:

    World Expansion

    • Stalkhaven Port: A bustling new harbor area complete with maritime atmosphere
    • New NPCs: Meet the Boat Repairman and the mysterious Captain Shroud, each bringing their own stories and interactions
    • Ratkin Nest: An entirely new region packed with challenging Ratkin enemies and valuable loot to discover

    Game Systems Revolution

    • Quest System: Full quest implementation bringing structure and narrative progression to the world
    • Persistent Progress: Player health, items, XP, and region progress now save between sessions – no more lost progress!
    • New Player Experience: Comprehensive help menu with tips to onboard newcomers smoothly
    • Smart Spawning: Players now spawn facing important locations like shops rather than random portals

    Combat & Activities

    • Diverse Quest Types: Foraging challenges, dodging trials, combat objectives, and more
    • Streamlined Items: Simplified item system for better user experience and easier development

    Frontiers is proving that HYTOPIA can handle the complexity of full MMORPGs while remaining accessible to solo developers.

    World Editor: Smoother Building Experience

    Our world editor received crucial quality-of-life improvements:

    Enhanced Building Mechanics

    • Y-Axis Locking: Dragging now locks to the original Y position, preventing accidental vertical movement
    • Performance Optimization: Only meshes actually being used are added to the scene, dramatically improving editor performance
    • UI Polish: Input elements can no longer be accidentally focused, reducing builder frustration

    Stability Improvements

    • Persistent Ground Tool: Fixed issues where blocks deleted by the ground tool wouldn’t save properly
    • Ghost Item Fixes: Resolved rendering issues that caused phantom objects in the editor

    Marketplace: From Wallets to People

    The marketplace transformation continues with a focus on human-centered design:

    User Experience Upgrades

    • Real Profiles: Seller profile pictures and usernames now display instead of cryptic wallet addresses
    • Sales Analytics: Comprehensive tracking system for the upcoming marketplace model (details in our tokenomics documentation)
    • Content Moderation: Terms of Service flagging system to maintain quality and safety standards

    These changes make the marketplace feel like a real community space rather than a cold transaction system.

    Locker: Character Customization Unleashed

    Our character customization system received massive upgrades:

    Expanded Customization

    • Complete Character Editor: New page for customizing skin tone, hair style, and hair color
    • Eyewear Slot: Brand new equipment slot for glasses, goggles, and other face accessories
    • Hair Variety: Support for 10 new hair styles, each available in 10 different colors (100 combinations!)
    A collection of voxel-style character hair models in various colors and styles, displayed against a dark background.

    Technical Improvements

    • Unified Textures: Now uses the same texture generator as the actual game for perfect consistency
    • GraphQL Migration: All features moved to GraphQL for improved performance and reduced costs
    • Bug Fixes: Resolved edge cases preventing certain players from equipping items

    Search: Quality Control

    • Clean Results: Delisted items no longer appear in search results, ensuring users only see available, approved content

    Assets: Building Blocks of Creativity

    Our asset library expansion continues with practical and beautiful additions:

    New Models & Animations

    • Smoke Particles: glTF particle effects for atmospheric enhancement
    • Upgrade Bay Building: Perfect for sci-fi and industrial environments
    • Portal Model: The same stunning portal used in Frontiers, now available to all creators
    • Rusty Armor Set: Complete armor models for medieval and fantasy games
    Two pixelated knights in armor standing in a vibrant green landscape with trees and flowers, holding swords and shields, with a castle in the background.

    Player Animation Expansion

    • Foraging Animations: Realistic gathering and collection movements
    • Battle Stance Idle: Combat-ready positioning for action games
    • 5-Hit Combo: Fluid combat animation sequence for fighting mechanics
    • Hair Integration: Updated texture generator supporting all new hair styles

    The Ecosystem Effect

    What makes this week’s updates particularly exciting is how they work together. The SDK’s new event system enables the complex quest mechanics in Frontiers. The improved marketplace benefits from better character customization in Locker. The expanded asset library gives World Editor users more tools for expression.

    This is what a mature platform looks like – not just individual tools, but an interconnected ecosystem where each improvement amplifies the others.

    Looking Forward

    Every update brings us closer to our vision of democratizing game development. Whether you’re building your first simple game or developing the next breakthrough MMORPG, HYTOPIA provides the foundation, tools, and community to make it happen.

    Ready to start building? Jump into our World Editor at build.hytopia.com, explore our expanded SDK documentation, or dive into Frontiers to see these systems in action.

    The future of gaming is being built by creators like you, and we’re honored to provide the tools that make it possible. Keep building, keep innovating, and keep pushing the boundaries of what’s possible.

    Want to stay updated on all HYTOPIA developments? Follow our weekly development updates for the latest features, improvements, and community showcases.

  • HYTOPIA: Major SDK & Game Hosting Upgrades This Week

    HYTOPIA: Major SDK & Game Hosting Upgrades This Week

    This week has been absolutely incredible for HYTOPIA! Our team has been firing on all cylinders, delivering major improvements across every aspect of the platform. From new SDK features to a massive asset library expansion, we’re building the most comprehensive game development ecosystem in the space.

    SDK Updates

    Our SDK continues to evolve with features that unlock new creative possibilities:

    New Capabilities

    • Override default model textures and swap them in real time, perfect for customization systems, damage states, or seasonal variants
    • Test if shapes would collide before placing them, essential for smart building tools and physics-based gameplay
    • New utility functions for converting direction vectors to quaternions, simplifying 3D rotations

    Quality of Life Improvements

    • Default entity controller’s stopping distance is now customizable for precise movement behaviors
    • Improved camera zooming for better player experience
    • Player entities now properly respect “can move” flags during animations

    Critical Bug Fixes

    • Resolved a significant memory leak in networking code
    • Fixed timing issues for world events
    • Improved overall stability and performance

    ‘Frontiers’ is Shaping Up

    Frontiers continues to showcase what’s possible with HYTOPIA SDK, with massive feature additions this week:

    Commerce & Trading

    • Buy/Sell System: Complete item trading with merchants
    • Real-time Updates: Item quantities update instantly across the game
    • Bartering XP: Gain experience through trading activities
    • Smart Notifications: Keep players informed of important events

    World Expansion

    • Portal System: Seamless travel between regions using our world switching technology
    • Chitters Forest: Brand new region to explore
    • Enemy Spawners: Dynamic creature population system
    • Foraging Mechanics: Gather resources from the environment

    Combat & Progression

    • Consumables: Health potions and other usable items
    • Sword Spin Attack: Area-of-effect combat abilities
    • Projectile Enemies: Ranged combat challenges
    • Death/Respawn System: Complete player lifecycle management
    • Auto-Respawn: Players who fall out of bounds are automatically rescued
    • Balanced Progression: Refined leveling and damage formulas for optimal gameplay

    The improvements to pathfinding and enemy AI make the world feel truly alive!

    Infrastructure: Performance at Scale

    Game Hosting Revolution

    We’ve completely upgraded our game hosting infrastructure:

    • More Powerful Instances: Significantly increased game performance across the board
    • Amazon Linux 2023: Leveraging AWS hardware optimizations for maximum efficiency
    • Zero Downtime Upgrades: Early prototype for seamless game runner updates (no more maintenance windows!)

    Authentication & Wallet Integration

    • Pre-calculated Wallets: Reduced complexity, costs, and response times for player onboarding
    • External Wallet Support: Connect existing wallets in read-only mode for seamless Web3 integration

    Promotional Items: Rewarding Our Community

    We will be launching an exciting new reward system that recognizes both on-chain activity and community participation:

    Cross-Chain Rewards

    Similar to Collab.land, connect your external wallet to receive rewards based on your assets. For example, special Ape masks for Bored Ape community members or exclusive rewards for Worlds, Avatars, and Gray Boys owners

    Testing Economy

    • 1000 ‘Fake’ USDC: Risk-free marketplace testing currency
    • Locker Integration: Test our new inventory system with real items

    Marketplace: The Web3 Gaming Economy

    Major marketplace improvements are setting the foundation for a thriving creator economy:

    Technical Upgrades

    • Gasless Transactions: Create and execute listings through our foundation gasless system
    • Performance Boost: Migrated from legacy APIs to new, optimized systems
    • USDC Integration: Simplified from ‘credits’ to USDC for easier Web3 onboarding

    Items & Inventory: Smart Asset Management

    Our items system received significant backend improvements:

    Bulk Operations

    • Multi-NFT Queries: Retrieve item balances for multiple NFTs and owners efficiently
    • Inventory Aggregation: Get complete user inventories and equippable items per Locker slot
    • Statistics Dashboard: Track unique owners, total supply, and other key metrics

    Performance & Reliability

    • Enhanced Caching: Improved caching for tracked contract addresses
    • Error Handling: Fixed server errors related to on-chain/database mismatches
    • Code Cleanup: Streamlined metadata handling for better maintainability

    87 New Creative Building Blocks

    We believe the biggest blocker for game development isn’t programming, it’s art. That’s why we’re constantly expanding our free asset library for creators.

    This Week’s Massive Addition

    Starting with 25 assets, we’re adding 87 more to

    New Asset Categories

    • Enhanced Player Animations: Consuming animations for potions and food
    • Environmental Variety: Multiple pot types with plants, flowers, and cactuses
    • Natural Elements: Pebbles, cobblestone patches, snow-covered rocks
    • Urban Assets: City-themed objects for modern environments
    • Living Worlds: Wind animations for plant models
    • Character Customization: 10 hair styles × 10 colors = 100 combinations!

    And much more! Our asset team is working around the clock to give developers everything they need.

    Platform Polish: Better Player Experience

    Play Platform Improvements

    • HTTPS Integration: Fixed game launching from friends list to use secure connections
    • Real-time Updates: Global player counts now update instantly (solved a Redis version mismatch)

    Creator Dashboard

    • Status Accuracy: Fixed packages incorrectly showing as ‘Live’
    • UI/UX Research: Ongoing design iterations for item creation pages

    What This Means for You

    Whether you’re a developer, player, or creator, this week’s updates directly impact your HYTOPIA experience:

    For Developers:

    • More powerful SDK tools for complex game mechanics
    • Expanded asset library reduces development time
    • Improved hosting performance for better player experience

    For Players:

    • Smoother gameplay experiences
    • New reward systems for community participation
    • Enhanced marketplace for trading and collecting

    For Creators:

    • Streamlined Web3 integration
    • Professional-grade tools for content creation
    • Growing ecosystem of opportunities

    The Momentum Continues

    This development update showcases more than just feature additions, it demonstrates our commitment to building a comprehensive platform where creativity meets cutting-edge technology. From SDK improvements that enable new gameplay mechanics to infrastructure upgrades that ensure smooth experiences at scale, every update brings us closer to our vision of democratizing game development.

    Ready to start building? Explore our expanded asset library at build.hytopia.com , or dive into SDK development with our latest tools.

    The future of gaming is being built right here, right now. Join us in creating it!

    Want to stay updated on all HYTOPIA developments? Follow us for weekly updates showcasing the latest features, community creations, and platform improvements.

  • Discover the Latest SDK Updates and ‘Frontiers’ RPG

    Discover the Latest SDK Updates and ‘Frontiers’ RPG

    Hey everyone!

    We’ve been hard at work rolling out new features, fixes, and even a brand-new RPG to test the limits of our SDK. Here’s a rundown of what’s fresh:

    SDK Improvements

    The SDK just got even more powerful with these additions:

    • NEW: ‘Over the shoulder’ camera mode for dynamic perspectives
    • NEW: Texture & model swapping, plus per-node color tinting
    • NEW: Pointer lock decoupling (mouse movement no longer strictly tied to camera/game movement)
    • UPGRADE: Extra key inputs + support for the new single-texture player model
    • BUGFIX: Camera zooming now behaves consistently across Windows and MacOS
    • RESEARCH: Voxel colliders with edge collisions may make a comeback—stay tuned!

    Introducing ‘Frontiers’ – A New RPG

    ‘Frontiers’ is an exciting new RPG built by @iamarkdev to push the SDK’s boundaries and refine its features. It’s already available in the SDK examples repository, and we can’t wait for you to try it out!

    Latest Additions:

    • Inventory menu & “hotbar” item selection
    • Stats menu & knockback effects on damage
    • Day/night cycle with a game clock
    • Basic dialog system & dodging mechanics
    • Item dropping/picking up + merchant UIs
    • Fancy region arrival text + gold as an item

    World Builder Fixes

    • BUGFIX: Faces now re-render correctly after block removal.

    Asset Additions

    • NEW: Clothing, eye layers, and a variety of hairstyles for player customization
    • NEW: Desert biome-themed assets + items for Locker testing
    • UPGRADE: Player model now uses a single texture for better performance

    Items & Locker Updates

    • NEW: Multi-wallet/chain item queries
    • UPGRADE: Rarity system now aligns better with lootbox drop rates
    • BUGFIX: Contract addresses now return in checksummed format
    • LOCKER: Glasses support + new texture generator for unified character looks
    • REFACTOR: Cleaned up legacy Polygon item code

    Marketplace Upgrade

    • Transactions now use the foundation’s gasless implementation.

    That’s it for now!

    Dive into the new features, test out ‘Frontiers’ and let us know what you think.

    More exciting updates are on the way, stay tuned!

  • HYTOPIA May Update: A Month of Major Breakthroughs

    HYTOPIA May Update: A Month of Major Breakthroughs

    Hey HYTOPIA Community!

    May was a month of massive technical leaps, quality-of-life upgrades, and foundational improvements that make HYTOPIA more powerful than ever. From a complete World Editor overhaul to game-changing SDK features like world switching and wedge colliders, here’s everything you need to know:

    World Editor: From Spaghetti to Stability

    “The Great Refactor”: We kicked off the month with a crucial foundation update to our world editor at build.hytopia.com.

    Major New Features:

    • Redesigned UI with compact sidebar toggle for smaller screens
    • Placement Size Tools: Choose from 1×1, 3×3, 5×5, and diamond placement patterns
    • Smart Search: Find blocks, models, and schematics instantly
    • Schematics Tab: Save and reuse AI-generated structures
    • Remove Hidden Blocks Tool: Automatically hollow out terrain for optimization

    Performance Gains:

    • Chunks now load 2-4x faster on initial load
    • Instanced meshing for previews dramatically improves frame rates
    • Eliminated redundant rebuilds that were happening every 10 seconds

    Creator Dashboard: Complete Control for Developers

    The launch of our Creator Dashboard at hytopia.com/create, give developers a comprehensive self-service platform:

    • Direct Upload: Upload game packages without intermediaries
    • Customization Suite: Control settings, tags, and media galleries
    • Live Testing Environment: Test your games in real-time
    • Real-time Crash Reports: Debug issues as they happen
    • One-Click Review Submission: Streamlined publishing process

    SDK Evolution: Power and Performance

    SDK 0.4.5: Introducing Wedge Colliders

    We introduced wedge colliders – essentially “ramps” that players can walk up smoothly. This opened up entirely new possibilities for level design:

    • Create stairs, ramps, and sloped terrain
    • Fully configurable in x, y, z directions
    • modelPreferredShape: Tell the engine what physics shape to use for automatic collider generation
    • Support for trimesh colliders that tightly match model visuals

    SDK 0.5.2: World Switching Revolution

    This major release introduced World Switching capabilities through the new WorldManager:

    • Multiple Worlds: Create complex multi-area experiences
    • Swimming Mechanics: Full swimming support with automatic liquid detection
    • Performance Optimizations: Significant engine improvements across the board
    • Breaking Changes: Refactored PlayerEntity to DefaultPlayerEntity for better extensibility

    SDK 0.6.1: The Performance Update

    We delivered massive performance optimizations that affect every aspect of the engine:

    • New Player Controller: 48 animations available with dramatically improved movement
    • Skybox Control: Adjust brightness via world.setSkyboxIntensity() for day/night cycles
    • Flexible World Creation: Optional automatic world creation for more control
    • Enhanced Entity Controllers: Automatic animation triggers for move, idle, jump states

    SDK 0.6.5: Polish and Fixes

    We wrapped up the month with important quality-of-life improvements:

    • Fixed applyImpulse: Now works correctly with players for knockback and external forces
    • Debug Rendering: Visualize colliders and sensors without performance impact
    • Selective Debug Views: Control what collider types render in debug mode

    What’s Next?

    While we’ve made incredible progress, we’re not stopping here. Our roadmap includes:

    • Enhanced Collider Support: Trimesh for precise model matching, wedge for stairs/ramps, and sensor for non-colliding areas
    • Missing Texture System Fix: Complete overhaul of the texture pipeline
    • Visual Collider Representation: See collider types directly in the editor
    • One of the most exciting upgrade coming to the default character animations and movements in the next HYTOPIA SDK release

    Founder’s Corner: Leading by Example

    Our co-founders aren’t just building the platform, they’re actively creating games that showcase HYTOPIA’s incredible versatility and push our tools to their limits.

    Arkdev: “Frontiers” – Farming Meets MMORPG

    Arkdev has been hard at work on “Frontiers,” an ambitious farming-sim/MMORPG crossover that’s already demonstrating some of our latest SDK features in action:

    Arkdev implemented a complete day/night cycle system. Each full cycle runs 24 minutes in real-time, creating dynamic gameplay opportunities as the world transitions from day to night.

    The game features intelligent NPC pathfinding around cities and recently gained a dodge roll mechanic inspired by souls-like games.

    Temptranquil: Tower Defense Excellence

    Temptranquil is pushing HYTOPIA in a completely different direction with a top-down tower defense game that showcases our engine’s incredible flexibility:

    Managing tons of projectiles, enemies, towers, upgrades, and waves simultaneously—all while maintaining smooth performance thanks to our May performance optimizations.

    From 3D adventures to top-down strategy games, this project proves that HYTOPIA isn’t limited to any single game type. The same engine that powers farming sims and MMORPGs can seamlessly handle real-time strategy mechanics.

    Both projects are perfect examples of how our May updates—from performance optimizations to advanced physics—translate into real gameplay innovations. Our founders aren’t just talking about what’s possible with HYTOPIA; they’re building it.

    Community Appreciation

    Special recognition goes to our community contributor who tackled the complex codebase refactoring that made much of May’s progress possible. The HYTOPIA platform thrives because of developers like you who push the boundaries of what’s possible.

    May 2025 proved that HYTOPIA is more than just a game development platform, we’re building the foundation for the next generation of multiplayer experiences. With improved stability, powerful new features, and a relentless focus on performance, we can’t wait to see what you’ll create.

    Ready to start building? Visit build.hytopia.com to try the latest editor, or check out our Creator Dashboard to publish your next game.

    Game Jam #3 is starting soon! Register at gamejam.hytopia.com and put these new tools to the test.