Hytale's First Major Update is Out Now and It's Added Dinosaurs to the Game

It’s been a whirlwind week for the Hytale community. After the game’s dramatic "un-cancellation" and independent revival by Hypixel Studios founder Simon Collins-Laflamme, Hytale officially entered Early Access on January 13, 2026.

Proving they aren't hitting the brakes, the team released Update 1 on January 17, introducing 80+ changes and the game’s first major content addition: Dinosaurs. 

Welcome to the Prehistoric Underground

The headliner of this update is the addition of dinosaurs to the Underground Jungle biomes (Zone 4).

• New Mobs: You can now encounter Cave Rexes, Cave Raptors, Pterodactyls, and the bioluminescent Trilladon.

• Placeholder Behavior: The devs noted these NPCs currently use "placeholder behavior," meaning they’ll get more unique personalities and AI patterns in future patches.

• World Gen Tip: Because this update required a change to the biome environment, you’ll need to generate new, unexplored areas in your world to find them. 

Quality of Life: The "Backpack" Patch

If you’ve been struggling with inventory management (a major early player complaint), this update is for you. Hypixel has significantly lowered the barrier to entry for storage:

• Cheaper Crafting: The base Backpack now requires only 8 Medium Leather (down from 16) and a Tier 1 Workbench (down from Tier 2).

• Faster Processing: Light, Medium, and Heavy Hide now take 10 seconds less to process into Leather.

• Extended Reach: Crafting benches can now pull materials from chests within 14 blocks horizontally, making base organization much more flexible. 

 

NPC & Combat Tweaks

The world is feeling a bit more "logical" with several common-sense fixes for Orbis's inhabitants:

• Fire Immunity: Fire-themed NPCs (like lava creatures) are now immune to fire damage.

• Skeleton Physics: Skeletons no longer take drowning damage (no lungs, no problem).

• Wildlife Temperament: Foxes and other cautious predators will no longer attack you unless you strike first.

• Sleep Schedule: For the "grandpas" in the room, the devs added the ability to sleep starting at 7:30 PM. 

Hytale Update 1 Summary Table

Category	Key Changes
New Content	Dinosaurs (Cave Rex, Raptors, etc.) added to Zone 4 Underground Jungles.
Crafting	Backpacks are cheaper; crafting benches pull from a wider radius (14 blocks).
Character	New Eye types (Cat, Demonic, Goat, Reptile) and Lavender hair color.
Combat	Weapon attacks now check for Line of Sight; Burn damage generally reduced.
Performance	Sprinting FOV capped at 160° to prevent "hyper-drive" visual distortion.

 

A Brief History of the "Save Hytale" Movement

For those just joining: Riot Games purchased Hypixel in 2020 but officially canceled Hytale in June 2025. This sparked a massive #SaveHytale movement. In November 2025, Simon Collins-Laflamme re-purchased the rights, re-hired 30+ original developers, and pivoted back to the game’s "Legacy Engine" to get it into players' hands as quickly as possible.

The launch has been a massive success, reportedly peaking at over 2.8 million concurrent players and topping Twitch charts on its debut day.