Tag: news

  • SkyGarden Joins HYTOPIA Creator Fund: A New Era of Cozy Farming MMORPG

    SkyGarden Joins HYTOPIA Creator Fund: A New Era of Cozy Farming MMORPG

    We’re excited to welcome SkyGarden as the second team to join HYTOPIA Creator Fund. While we’re thrilled to welcome proven talent from other ecosystems, we’re equally committed to supporting creators already building within our ecosystem.

    Meet the SkyGarden Team

    SkyGarden is led by Shrimp, a seasoned full-stack developer bringing over 7 years of enterprise experience along with extensive experience in creating Minecraft plugins and managing custom Java plugins for servers, including notable work on Dungeon Realms. His plugins are still actively used by server owners today, demonstrating the lasting impact of well-crafted game development.

    The team also includes Sebu, a talented Minecraft Artist, builder and modeller who’s responsible for SkyGarden’s stunning Hub world and intricate models designs. Sebu brings a wealth of experience in Map creation and sells custom models while building a following through engaging build videos.

    More about SkyGarden

    Currently in alpha testing, SkyGarden represents an innovative, community-focused experience that thrives on HYTOPIA. This cozy farming and island building MMORPG invites players to grow crops, raise animals, cook food, and most importantly, hang out with friends in a welcoming, social environment.

    The game’s core loop centers around growing crops, collecting resources, and expanding one’s personal island. What makes SkyGarden more engaging is its value for players’ time: crops continue growing even when you’re offline, and your soil plot and resource production capacity scale with your land size, creating meaningful progression that doesn’t demand constant attention.

    Players gain experience through harvesting, resource collection, and cooking. The food system adds delightful depth, cooked meals can be consumed for experience or sold at the market for extra coins. Each level brings valuable rewards and unlocks new crops, recipes, and land expansions, with more content planned beyond the current level 30 cap.

    SkyGarden features a competitive leaderboard system with regular competitions where players can earn rare and exclusive items. The achievement system offers additional island boosts that enhance crop production and help discover rare seeds.

    SkyGarden offers extensive customization options that make every player’s experience unique by allowing them to choose between male and female player models (with more coming soon), customize their island’s skybox to match their mood, and even change the background music to create the perfect farming atmosphere. These thoughtful touches ensure every player can make SkyGarden truly their own.

    The beautifully designed Hub world serves as the social center where players collect rewards, shop, expand islands, and craft items. The seamless transition between Hub and personal garden demonstrates the polished user experience Shrimp and Sebu have crafted.

    The daily task system provides eight daily objectives plus login streak rewards, creating engaging reasons to return. Combined with the competitive elements and personalization options, SkyGarden creates a perfect balance of social interaction, friendly competition, and individual expression.

    HYTOPIA Supporting Native Innovation

    This partnership reflects our belief that engaging gaming experiences can emerge from anywhere; established studios exploring new platforms, indie developers with fresh ideas, or technical professionals applying their expertise to creative challenges. The Creator Fund isn’t just about attracting external talent; it’s also about empowering the innovative creators already choosing to build their visions on HYTOPIA.

    What excites us most about SkyGarden is how it embodies HYTOPIA’s vision for social, accessible gaming experiences. The cozy farming genre has proven its appeal across platforms, but SkyGarden’s focus on community interaction, progression systems, and polished user experience is something special in development.

    As the team continues building in public, sharing development updates and conducting alpha testing with their growing community, they’re demonstrating the collaborative spirit that makes HYTOPIA’s ecosystem thrive.

    A Growing Ecosystem

    With SkyGarden joining the Creator Fund, we’re showcasing the breadth of talent and innovation within our ecosystem. Over the coming months, we’ll continue announcing partnerships that represent different aspects of HYTOPIA’s creative community, from established studios exploring new possibilities to native developers pushing creative boundaries.

    Ready to build something amazing?

    Whether you’re an established developer from another platform or an innovative creator already exploring HYTOPIA’s possibilities, we want to hear from you.

    Learn more and apply: https://creatorfund.hytopia.com/

    The future of gaming is being built by creators who see new possibilities and have the skills to bring them to life. 

    Welcome to the Creator Fund, SkyGarden team. We can’t wait to see your cozy world flourish.

    For more information about the HYTOPIA Creator Fund: https://creatorfund.hytopia.com/

  • Explore HYTOPIA’s Latest SDK Breakthroughs & Security Upgrades

    Explore HYTOPIA’s Latest SDK Breakthroughs & Security Upgrades

    This week brought significant technical advancements across the HYTOPIA platform, from advanced lighting systems to enhanced security measures. Here’s everything we’ve shipped:

    Major SDK Breakthroughs

    Block-Based Lighting System
    We’re thrilled to announce the release of our highly requested block-based lighting system. Blocks can now be set as emissive light sources, casting realistic light that affects nearby blocks and entities with minimal performance impact.

    Blocks will be able to be set as an emissive light source, casting light that effects nearby blocks and entities with little to no FPS/performance impact.

    Performance & Stability Improvements

    • Enhanced entity instancing with optimized threshold adjustments
    • Improved packet compression performance for faster data transfer
    • Fixed skybox positioning to follow camera movement naturally
    • Resolved critical runtime crashes and racing conditions during simultaneous player joins
    • Added comprehensive WebGL statistics to our debug panel

    World Editor Evolution

    Enhanced Creative Tools

    • Quick entity rotation with the “R” key for faster building
    • Support for blocks with different face textures, opening new creative possibilities
    • Expanded environmental model library with dozens of new assets
    • Improved Windows device compatibility and responsiveness
    • Research underway for Blueprint and Axiom schematic importing

    Authentication & Security Upgrades

    Streamlined User Experience

    • Extended auth token validity to reduce mobile re-login frequency
    • Fixed guest account persistence issues
    • Enhanced analytics integration with Sentry username tracking

    Enhanced Gaming Experience

    Communication & Safety

    • Implemented intelligent link censoring for in-game chat protection
    • Replaced approval percentages with real-time online player counts for better community insights

    NEW: Dynamic Categorization System

    We’re building a powerful new system that allows our team to create dynamic website sections without code changes. This enables us to showcase:

    • Team’s picks and curated selections
    • Seasonal themed games (like holiday collections)
    • Featured item collections
    • HYTOPIA exclusive content

    Infrastructure & Backend Improvements

    Security & Performance

    • Migrated game hosting runtime to Deno for enhanced security
    • Transitioned internal communication to gRPC with HTTP 2.0 + HTTPS for reduced latency
    • Fixed server termination issues for improved resource management
    • Resolved item ownership indexing inconsistencies

    Marketplace Enhancements

    Enhanced Trading Experience

    • Launched first-party sales (minting) capabilities
    • Added three new featured collections
    • Optimized mobile responsiveness and screen adaptation
    • Fully onchain item minting implementation
    • Improved lootbox reward sorting (common to rarest)
    • Continued Flashblocks integration research for faster transactions

    Locker Improvements

    Smoother User Experience

    • Preloaded lootbox reward images for seamless animations
    • Added gradient backgrounds for rare items visual distinction
    • Enhanced confetti animations and smoother lootbox opening sequences
    • Fixed bundle content display on larger screens

    Promotional Systems

    Reliable Distribution

    • Individual dispenser toggle controls with emergency feature flags
    • Simplified architecture for easier maintenance
    • Implemented chain interaction limiting to prevent network overload

    Fresh Content

    Expanded Asset Library

    • 30 new house-building assets including fences, roofs, doors, chests, and beds
    A colorful collection of 3D house-building assets displayed on a green terrain, including doors, windows, beds, and storage chests, against a blue sky with clouds.
    • Introduced decorative leaf blocks
    • Fixed origin points for essential models

    Founder’s Corner

    Looking Forward

    This week’s updates demonstrate our commitment to both technical excellence and user safety. From groundbreaking lighting systems to robust child protection measures, we’re building the foundation for a safer, more creative gaming platform.

    The combination of enhanced performance, new creative tools, and unwavering safety standards positions HYTOPIA for continued growth while maintaining our core values.

    Stay updated with our latest developments by joining our Discord and following us on X.

  • Unlock New Opportunities: HYTOPIA Expands $250K Creator Fund

    Unlock New Opportunities: HYTOPIA Expands $250K Creator Fund

    Today, we are thrilled to announce that we’re expanding the HYTOPIA Creator Fund from $125K to $250K in total funding.

    The response to our Creator Fund has been overwhelming, with a surge of interest from experienced Roblox developers. These creators, who have spent years mastering game development within Roblox’s ecosystem, are increasingly seeking new platforms that offer greater creative freedom, better economics, and modern web-native capabilities.

    What struck us most was the caliber of these Roblox developers and their ambitious visions for what’s possible when their proven expertise meets HYTOPIA’s cutting-edge technology. Many cited frustrations with platform limitations, revenue splits, and the desire for true cross-platform reach – challenges that HYTOPIA’s web-native approach directly addresses. The quality and scale of their proposals convinced us of one thing: these talented creators deserve a platform that matches their ambitions.

    With $250K in funding, we can now support more of these experienced developers as they transition to building breakthrough experiences on HYTOPIA. This means more flagship titles from proven game creators, more innovative gameplay mechanics that push beyond traditional platform constraints, and more opportunities for Roblox veterans to pioneer the next generation of truly cross-platform gaming.

    What This Means for Creators

    The expanded fund allows us to:

    • Support more studios without compromising on individual grant amounts
    • Maintain our full-service approach with dedicated engineering support, GTM assistance, and revenue-favorable partnerships
    • Take bigger creative risks with studios pushing the boundaries of what’s possible on web-native platforms

    This investment reinforces what makes HYTOPIA unique in the gaming ecosystem:

    • Your games work everywhere, instantly, without downloads or compatibility concerns.
    • Creator-First economics with full IP ownership retained.
    • Receive hands-on engineering support, marketing amplification, and direct community access.
    • Accessible to non-game developers and JavaScript developers

    Your Opportunity Awaits

    With $250K in funding now available, we’re making sure that good teams and good ideas don’t go unrealized. Whether you’re building innovative educational experiences, breakthrough social games, or entirely new gameplay genres, we’re here to support your vision.

    Applications are open now at https://creatorfund.hytopia.com/

    The future of gaming won’t be built by incremental improvements to existing platforms, it will emerge from creators bold enough to build on fundamentally new foundations. We’re expanding our investment because we believe that the future starts now.

    Ready to lead the charge? We can’t wait to see what you’ll build.

  • HYTOPIA: Major Infrastructure and Tool Upgrades

    HYTOPIA: Major Infrastructure and Tool Upgrades

    We’re excited to share some significant improvements we’ve shipped this week across the HYTOPIA platform. From massive infrastructure upgrades to new creative tools, here’s what’s new:

    Performance & Infrastructure Breakthroughs

    Game Hosting Revolution
    We’ve completely reimagined our game hosting infrastructure with remarkable results. Our tests now show support for up to 100 players on a single server with zero lag or stutters, and we have a clear path to 500 players. This represents a massive leap forward in both performance and cost efficiency.

    SDK Optimizations

    • Large packets (1024+ bytes) are now automatically compressed, dramatically reducing bandwidth and lag
    • Enhanced float encoding and movement packet optimization
    • Resolved audio issues during high-activity periods
    • Fixed UI context menu conflicts

    Creator Tools Enhanced

    World Editor Updates

    • New floor grid toggle for better workspace visibility
    • Customizable skybox options
    • Significant performance improvements through object pooling and texture optimization
    • Advanced entity culling systems for smoother editing

    Create Platform Improvements

    • Sortable items table for better organization
    • Editable item traits post-creation
    • Redesigned item cards featuring creator profiles
    • Increased package size limit to 500MB
    • Enhanced game submission workflow with Markdown support

    Player Experience Improvements

    Enhanced Gameplay Features

    • New ESC and SHIFT+TAB controls for seamless game/overlay navigation
    • Floating “Currently Playing” notifications that follow you across pages
    • Updated total play count system now live

    Fresh Content
    Our asset team has been busy creating:

    • 5 new brainrot NPC models
    A 3D character model resembling a cute figure with a mug for a head, wearing a pink dress and striped leggings.
    A blue, blocky shark character designed in a pixelated style, wearing sneakers, with a cartoonish face and exaggerated features.
    A whimsical pixel art aircraft designed to resemble an alligator, featuring propellers and an orange object hanging below.
    A 3D animated character with a green frog head and a black frame surrounding its body, walking on orange legs.
    • 6 complete armor sets and 11 weapons
    • 17 essential world-building items (anvils, furnaces, workbenches, etc.)
    • 9 new clothing options
    A collection of ten voxel-style character avatars with blonde hair and green eyes, showcasing various clothing styles including casual and formal outfits.

    Marketplace & Locker: Public Testing Soon!

    We’re thrilled to announce that public testing for our Marketplace and Locker systems is just around the corner. Take a look at what we’ve been building:

    Also, here’s what to expect:

    Testing Scope:

    • 100 fake USDC starting balance for all testers
    • Basic starter item collection
    • Purchasable lootboxes and bundles
    • Full item equipping functionality in the Locker
    • Special glasses for World, Gray Boys, and Avatars holders
    • Platform-specific hats for Android & iOS users

    Current Development:

    • Real-time listing updates
    • Responsive design improvements
    • View counting for marketplace items
    • Optimized UI using Base’s Flashblocks for lightning-fast transactions
    • Locale-specific number formatting

    Looking Ahead

    These updates represent months of behind-the-scenes work focused on scalability, performance, and user experience. The upcoming Marketplace and Locker testing will mark a major milestone in HYTOPIA’s evolution.

    Stay tuned for the official testing announcement with full participation details.

    Join our Discord and follow us on X for the latest updates.

  • Roblox Powerhouse IROC Studios becomes the first studio committed to build on HYTOPIA

    Roblox Powerhouse IROC Studios becomes the first studio committed to build on HYTOPIA

    Today, we’re thrilled to announce IROC Studios as the inaugural partner in our HYTOPIA Creator Fund program. This partnership tells a compelling story about creative evolution: how successful developers continue pushing boundaries and exploring new frontiers to bring their biggest visions to life.

    Meet IROC Studios: A Proven Powerhouse on Roblox

    With over 15 years of experience in game development, IROC Studios has established itself as one of the most popular and fastest-growing studios on Roblox. Their flagship title, Game Store Tycoon, has captivated players worldwide with over 110 million game visits and built a thriving community of more than 3 million fans.

    What makes IROC Studios special isn’t just their impressive numbers; it’s their ability to create engaging, community-driven experiences that keep players coming back. As a leading force among the platform’s next generation of creators, they represent exactly the kind of battle-tested talent we’re excited to support through the Creator Fund.

    Introducing Pawtopia: Adventure Awaits in the Voxel World

    IROC Studios is bringing their expertise to HYTOPIA with Pawtopia, an ambitious pet collection simulator and adventure game that perfectly showcases what’s possible on our platform. Set in a magical voxel-based world, Pawtopia invites players to explore lush forests, crystal caverns, and mystical mountain paths while hatching, collecting, and leveling up uniquely designed cube-shaped pets.

    From loyal cats and playful dogs to majestic dragons and rare jungle beasts, each pet is crafted to match HYTOPIA’s colorful aesthetic while offering distinct gameplay mechanics. As players adventure through the world, their pets become valuable companions, helping them smash piles of square coins, uncover hidden loot, and unlock new realms. The deeper you explore together, the stronger your bond, and your pets,become.

    The Natural Evolution of Successful Developers

    What’s particularly exciting about this partnership is what it represents: talented developers with proven track records choosing to expand their creative reach. IROC Studios didn’t come to HYTOPIA because they needed to, they came because they wanted to explore what their next breakthrough might look like.

    This resonates with a broader trend we’re seeing. Accomplished developers from various platforms, particularly those who’ve found success on Roblox, are increasingly curious about new creative opportunities. They’ve mastered their current environments and are ready to see what’s possible when they have access to different tools, support structures, and creative possibilities.

    The Broader Movement

    While IROC Studios is our first Creator Fund partner, they’re part of a larger conversation happening among successful developers. We’re already hearing from other accomplished creators; many with strong Roblox backgrounds, who are exploring what their next creative chapter might look like.

    The gaming landscape continues evolving, and the most successful developers are those who stay ahead of these shifts. They’re not abandoning what works; they’re expanding their creative toolkit and exploring new opportunities to connect with players in fresh ways.

    A Signal for the Industry

    When established developers like IROC Studios with millions of plays and loyal communities, choose to bring their biggest creative visions to a new platform, it sends a meaningful signal. It suggests that talented creators see opportunity in exploring new creative frontiers, even when they’re already successful elsewhere.

    For other developers with proven track records, particularly those who’ve built something meaningful on Roblox, IROC Studios’ choice represents validation that creative expansion and platform exploration can be smart strategic moves.

    Ready to Explore New Creative Frontiers?

    If you’re a developer with a successful track record and curiosity about what your next creative breakthrough might look like, we’d love to hear from you. The Creator Fund represents our commitment to supporting ambitious visions from talented creators.

    Learn more and apply: https://creatorfund.hytopia.com/

    The most exciting developments in gaming come from creators willing to explore new possibilities while building on their proven expertise. Whether you’ve found success on Roblox, mobile, or other platforms, HYTOPIA offers a chance to see what’s possible when creative vision meets platform innovation.

    Welcome to the Creator Fund, IROC Studios. Let’s build the future of gaming together.

    For more information about the HYTOPIA Creator Fund, visit https://creatorfund.hytopia.com/

  • 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!

  • 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!

  • Top Features Released This Week for HYTOPIA Creators

    Top Features Released This Week for HYTOPIA Creators

    We’re excited to share another week of significant progress across our platform. Our team has been hard at work delivering new features, improving performance, and expanding the tools available to our creator community.

    Enhanced SDK Capabilities

    Visual Effects & Rendering This week we’ve significantly expanded the visual capabilities available to creators. Our new fog control APIs allow developers to create atmospheric environments and dynamic weather effects. We’ve also released powerful particle emitter systems that can now be attached directly to model nodes, opening up possibilities for realistic fire effects, magical spells, environmental ambience, and much more.

    Dynamic Content Scaling

    Creators can now rescale models and colliders at runtime through our new API, providing greater flexibility for dynamic gameplay mechanics. Whether you’re creating growing crops, transforming characters, or adaptive environments, this feature gives you the control you need.

    Improved Rendering

    We’ve enhanced our chunk rendering system to properly account for fog effects, and resolved several shadow rendering issues that were affecting entities outside the screen boundary and large-scale scenes.

    Frontiers Content Expansion

    The Frontiers experience continues to grow with exciting new content. Spider webs are now destructible entities that respond to damage, and we’ve introduced weaver entities with associated item drops. The Gorkin faction has arrived with multiple entity types including hunters, swordsmen, and chieftains, each bringing unique gameplay dynamics.

    A blocky character standing on a dirt path surrounded by trees and plants in a game environment, displaying a toolbar at the bottom with inventory items and experience points.
    Hearthwilds update, a massive new region added to the Frontiers.
    A user interface displaying a blacksmithing menu in a game, featuring an apprentice blacksmith named Arden. The menu shows various items, including an iron helmet with requirements for crafting, such as iron ingots, raw hide, and gold.
    Our favorite blacksmith Arden has some new gear he can help you craft.

    We’ve also implemented more sophisticated enemy AI where certain creatures will engage in combat with each other, creating more dynamic and unpredictable encounters. The atmospheric heartwilds area now features fog effects, enhancing the immersive experience.

    Creator Tools & API Development

    HYTOPIA MCP Release

    We announced the release of our HYTOPIA MCP & AI API plugin that integrates directly with Cursor. This tool allows creators to build HYTOPIA games through natural language prompting, simply describe what you want to create, and watch as features, gameplay mechanics, and debugging solutions come to life in minutes rather than hours.

    Demo video of HYTOPIA MCP & AI API plugin that integrates directly with Cursor

    Whether you’re prototyping a new game concept, adding complex features, or troubleshooting issues, the AI-powered development workflow dramatically accelerates the creation process. Get started with AI-powered game development here.

    Revamped Developer Documentation

    We’ve completely refreshed our developer documentation to make building on HYTOPIA more accessible than ever. The updated docs at dev.hytopia.com, feature clearer explanations, better organization, and more comprehensive examples to help both newcomers and experienced developers get up to speed quickly.

    Additionally, we’ve added a dedicated guide on publishing your games to HYTOPIA, walking you through everything from final testing to launching your creation for the community to enjoy. No more guesswork, just clear, step-by-step instructions to get your game live.

    API Key Management

    A major milestone this week is the rollout of our API key system and accompanying JavaScript packages. This empowers creators to programmatically interact with their games for essential functions like user moderation, leaderboard management, and community features. The streamlined management interface makes it easy to generate, monitor, and control API access.

    Simplified Content Creation

    We’re introducing a more intuitive cosmetic item creation workflow that reduces complexity for creators. Now you can create custom items by simply providing a 3D model and filling out basic metadata and we handle the technical implementation details.

    Wallet Integration

    Enhanced Privy wallet management now includes better session handling and support for external wallet connections, providing creators and players with more flexible authentication options.

    Platform Performance & Reliability

    • We’ve improved responsiveness across mobile devices, ensuring a smoother experience for players accessing games on phones and tablets.
    • Several critical fixes have been implemented, including resolution of a memory-related crash in our event system and database connection optimizations that improve overall platform stability.
    • Fixed issues with character settings (skin tone, hair color, etc.) not properly syncing to the frontend, ensuring player customizations appear correctly across all game experiences.

    Behind the Scenes: Infrastructure Advances

    Resource Monitoring As our platform grows, we’ve implemented comprehensive resource tracking to ensure optimal performance and identify potential bottlenecks. This system monitors API usage patterns and helps us maintain a high-quality experience for all users.

    Save States System Our new persistent data service is now in internal testing and will soon power the SDK’s player.persistedData feature, allowing games to maintain player progress and preferences across sessions.

    Global Leaderboards We’ve deployed an initial version of our scalable leaderboard system, designed to handle real-time scoring, multiple ranking criteria, and the diverse needs of different game types. This system supports live top-25 streams, real-time rank updates, and flexible scoring mechanisms.

    Asset Library Growth

    This week we’ve added 42 new dungeon-themed assets and 5 additional clothing textures to our creator asset library. We’ve also updated the player walking animation and created new icons for shiny armor and mobile hat accessories.

    Looking Ahead, we have some exciting developments in the pipeline that we can’t quite share yet, but we think you’re going to love what’s coming next. Stay tuned for more updates, and as always, thank you to our incredible creator community for your continued feedback and support.

  • 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.