Tag: video-games

  • 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.

  • 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 April Update: Mobile Readiness, AI Tools, Game Jam 2 Winners & More!

    HYTOPIA April Update: Mobile Readiness, AI Tools, Game Jam 2 Winners & More!

    The HYTOPIA universe is evolving faster than ever. From mobile milestones to AI-powered creativity and important technical upgrades, April has been a whirlwind of progress. Let’s dive into the highlights:

    UI Overhaul: Preparing for a Mobile-First Future

    New UI, New Playground

    We’ve revamped the HYTOPIA interface to prepare for mobile compatibility. The chat system now acts as an overlay, letting you stay connected while immersed in gameplay.

    📱 Android + iOS public testing is LIVE!

    The future of voxel gaming is mobile—and it’s closer than ever.

    For iOS: https://testflight.apple.com/join/AfKTgWkr

    For Android: https://play.google.com/apps/testing/com.hytopia.app

    Call for Feedback:

    Found a bug? Have suggestions? Share them in our Discord channel. Your input will directly shape HYTOPIA’s mobile future.

    🛠️ Developer Spotlight: SDK Upgrades & AI-Powered Creativity

    SDK 0.4.2: WebRTC & Networking Revolution

    The latest SDK (0.4.2) introduces WebRTC-powered networking, delivering smoother gameplay, lower latency, and support for more concurrent players.

    Key upgrades:

    • Hybrid Protocol: Seamlessly switches between WebRTC and WebSockets for uninterrupted play.
    • Thread Offloading: Networking now runs on a separate thread, slashing CPU usage.
    • Stability Boost: Reduced crashes from malformed packets.

    How to upgrade?  Run:

    bun remove hytopia && bun add hytopia@latest && bun pm trust mediasoup

    Physics & Performance (SDK 0.3.32)

    • 20–30% faster physics: Handle bigger worlds and more entities.
    • Rapier SIMD 0.15.1: Fixed phantom collisions (RIP glitchy balls!).
    • Nagle’s Algorithm Disabled: Reduced latency spikes.

    AI-Powered Creativity

    Unleash your imagination with new AI tools on build.hytopia.com:

    • AI Building Assistant: Generate entire structures from text prompts.
    • AI Texture Creator: Craft custom textures in seconds.

    Custom Models & Assets

    Modify HYTOPIA’s core models (including the player!) with our new Blockbench repository:

    👉 GitHub Assets Repo

    Fresh Blocks & Models

    HYTOPIA’s asset library just got a major expansion. Explore new voxel assets on build.hytopia.com—with even more on the way.

    🏆 HYTOPIA Game Jam 2 Winners

    The second HYTOPIA Game Jam concluded with a burst of creativity, showcasing what’s possible with the SDK and AI tools. After fierce competition, we crowned our champions:

    🥇 Pulse Floor: A pulse-pounding survival trial where the floor literally collapses.

    🥈 Sky Siege: Team-based airship warfare with squad strategy.

    🥉 Havoc: Physics-driven chaos in a blocky battle royale.

    Congrats to all participants—your creativity is reshaping the future of HYTOPIA.

    What’s Next?

    This is just the beginning. With mobile apps nearing launch, AI tools expanding creativity, and HYTOPIA’s SDK pushing technical boundaries, the voxel revolution is accelerating.

    Jump In:

    Stay tuned for more updates—HYTOPIA is building the future, one block at a time.

    Build. Play. Thrive.

    The HYTOPIA Team

    Follow us on X/Twitter | Join the Discord