Minecraft Creative Lead Prefers Minecraft Over Hytale, Acknowledged by Hytale’s Director

With Hytale making its entrance into the sandbox gaming scene, Minecraft’s Jens Bergensten has taken a moment to check out the buzz surrounding it. His take on the early access version? “Very polished” and worth revisiting, though it feels a bit too familiar.

In a post on Bluesky, Bergensten responded to a user asking for his thoughts on Hytale. He had previously expressed excitement about trying the game after its unexpected revival.

“I’d like it to be more different from Minecraft,” Bergensten stated. “It’s very polished, but when I play, I find myself preferring Minecraft. It’s still early days, and I know modding will play a crucial role. I’ll definitely dive back in later.”

This assessment seems fair, especially considering that Simon Collins-Laflamme, head of Hypixel, who managed to bring Hytale back to life after it was initially canceled, has been candid about the game’s current rough state.

In a detailed post on X/Twitter discussing Hytale’s similarities to Minecraft, Collins-Laflamme acknowledged Bergensten’s comments as spot on.

“Jeb’s saying Hytale feels very polished is the best compliment we could ever receive,” Collins-Laflamme remarked. “He’s someone I hold in high regard, and I appreciate his rare public commentary on other games.”

Collins-Laflamme pointed out that many players don’t fully grasp the intricate design of Minecraft, which has evolved over years, integrating numerous features and systems that work seamlessly together. Hytale simply hasn’t had the time to develop in the same way; the fact that it’s even been released after multiple internal overhauls is impressive.

“I’m very critical of our own game—I agree with a lot of the negative feedback and take notes constantly,” Collins-Laflamme continued. “I’ve been saying for months that Hytale still has a long way to go, and I still believe that, which is why I’m working hard every day. Hearing that Jeb plans to return to play again later is encouraging; I hope he gets to experience the true vision we have for Hytale.”

Addressing Bergensten’s sentiment of preferring Minecraft for now, Collins-Laflamme acknowledged, “At this point, he’s probably right; we haven’t had the chance to implement all the features that will set us apart, and the early-game experience is quite basic compared to what we can achieve with World Gen V2 and other upcoming features.” This enhanced world generation is expected to significantly elevate the variety of encounters and environments.

He highlighted a range of missing yet planned features, such as instanced dungeons, bosses, quests, and narratives. The future of Hytale aims to diverge from Minecraft—”something new, more focused on combat, adventure, exploration, and fantasy, which is why we’re creating and playing Hytale.” Some players have even dubbed it “3D Terraria,” which resonates with those who prefer Terraria’s emphasis on combat, exploration, and gear progression.

Another user expressed hope that Hytale would maintain a sandbox feel without forcing players into new content. In response, Collins-Laflamme affirmed, “Yep, it’s a tough challenge, but we have a plan.”

“It’s not about competing with or replacing Minecraft; we just want to create something that resonates with us,” Collins-Laflamme clarified in his main post. He added, “In the coming years, you’ll see a significant distinction between Minecraft and Hytale as we enhance our production of extensive modding tools, fantasy worlds, and much more.”

Hytale Update 2 introduces the ability to summon skeleton gangs and expands modding tools for the Minecraft-inspired RPG—and yes, magic is on the way: “We will have a proper mana and spell system in the future.”