Hypixel Studios has released a pre-release build of Hytale Update 2, set to launch this weekend with bug fixes and improvements. The update introduces a new Necromancy Grimoire for summoning skeletal minions and adjusts mining mechanics for Adamantite. Players can access the content early through the game's launcher.
Hytale, developed by Hypixel Studios, is receiving Update 2, which players can test via a pre-release build in the launcher. To access it, users open the Hytale launcher, navigate to settings via the cog icon, switch the Patchline from 'release' to 'pre-release,' install, and launch. This separate build allows early playtesting before the official rollout this weekend, as detailed by founder Simon on X (formerly Twitter). Switching back to the 'release' Patchline returns to the previous version. Author John Dave T. Rossel highlights the update's focus on cosmetics, gameplay, world generation, farming, UI, audio, and stability. In cosmetics and customization, new mask face accessories and mouth variants like Vampire, Cute, and Orc are available for all editions. An armor slot visibility toggle, long-requested for PvP and immersion, is host-enforced. The Berserker haircut tiling is fixed, with updates to haircuts, cape animations, petals, and cloth visuals. Gameplay and balance changes include the Necromancy Grimoire, dropping from Skeleton Praetorian, which lets players raise up to five skeletal minions from bone piles for five minutes or until the summoner dies. Adamantite mining now requires a Thorium or Cobalt pickaxe, and pickaxe progression scales mining speed with quality. Rail karts are faster, a tower exploit is fixed allowing NPCs to throw rocks, polar bears and skeleton types are buffed, all crops can produce in the world, decorative light blocks are added to the furniture bench, hide drops adjusted for NPCs like cows, world map teleporting permissions added, and Magma Rhino Toad attacks updated. World generation introduces WorldGen V2 for modder support, with new Default_Flat and Default_Void templates. The Hub Portal uses V2 flat worldgen for new worlds with clear weather and limited fog. More ores appear, especially underground in Devastated Lands, requiring new chunks; existing worlds need exploration for changes. Zone 1 dungeons get environment fixes and new soundtracks. Farming improvements make eternal crops immune to weapon damage, increase tilled soil lifetime, and fix soil decay under grown crops. UI/UX enhancements include better editor tooltips, clothing color tooltips, improved hotbar contrast with a diamond indicator useful in Howling Sands, alphabetically sorted memory categories, scripted brush quality-of-life improvements, inventory updates like a keybind to pull all items from chests, optional FPS counter, player markers on the compass, and Ophidiophobia mode for snake fear accessibility. Audio adds basic Rex sounds and fixes. Bug fixes cover server self-updater, shadow improvements, pick block with full hotbar, asset editor documentation, mantling, keybind persistence, smoother weather transitions, teleporter offset, rail kart consumption and placement, bed respawn in unloaded chunks, food particle tints, and major server stability, validation, ECS, localization, and timeout enhancements.
