LogInCheck out the story of Hypixel Studios, a team that originated from the Hypixel Network minigames server established in 2013.
Hypixel built a strong brand by becoming one of the most popular independent game servers in the world - creating countless successful mini-games played by millions of fans of the block game genre. Using their past experiences and knowledge, they turned their team of modders into a professional development studio where they are empowering players to begin their own creative journeys.
In 2018, Hypixel Studios was established alongside the announcement of their first project, Hytale. The studio would then be acquired by Riot Games in 2020. The team now operates independently while leveraging Riot’s expertise, technology, and resources to continue the development of Hytale.
Hypixel Studios wants to take everything they’ve learned in the block game genre and apply it to a game that supports a new community of modders and content creators. The team believes the truest measure of success for a game is when the initial output of its original creators becomes something owned by its community.
The team at Hypixel Studios describes themselves as “self-driven, not driven”. This means that their work is fueled by the individual artists’ determination and passion. They are seeking motivated new talent who are excited to work at a studio that values and supports individual creativity and passion.
"I am working in Hypixel as an artist for almost 5 years now, I went through the team being just a handful of people who were doing something crazy and weird together to 50 mil views of the trailer video. So, what do I like the most? I think, the project itself. It's really unique to work on, and it's a chance to produce something really amazing.
Secondly, I really enjoy the way we are working, we were full remote from day 1, and it works great for us, it works great for me! I like the option to set up periods of time when I am fully concentrated on my work, without any disturbance and periods, when I am actively communicating. We have all kinds of people from all around the world, someone more chatty, someone more introverted, but somehow the company creates the environment where we can all thrive and be the most effective ourselves."
VFX Artist Polina
Coming from the beating heart of a modding community, Hypixel Studios understands the challenges that modders encounter. They recognize that a game’s scope and longevity are key to encouraging community growth, and wish to support and nurture content creators that wish to follow in their footsteps.
"I've been working on Hytale for four years now. It's been one of the most amazing, exhausting and rewarding things I've ever worked on. I'm really proud of the work we do.
I'm here. I'm queer, and I've never been discriminated against by my co-workers. It's been incredible to work somewhere where I can be my authentic self. Where everyone accepts me and respects my pronouns - something that is difficult to find, especially when looking to progress in your career. I went from basic level designing to integrations and design work, achieved through mentoring and growth opportunities, which has been amazing.
We've gained so many views on our trailer and have ended up as such a high-profile project with a supportive and talented community. I am so thankful every day to be a part of this project.”
Technical Artist & Designer Otium
Hypixel Studios is a remote-first and remote-focused studio. They understand that this model presents additional challenges but also unique benefits, including a much wider field to draw potential colleagues from. There are situations where Hypixel’s remote-working environment creates an opportunity for them to capitalize on talent that non-remote studios may not be able to. For example, someone who must care for a loved one at home or maybe has a medical condition that prevents them from working in a brick-and-mortar office.
Hypixel Studios recognizes that people can have onboarding experiences of varying durations and until that is complete they are still in a learning phase. Be that as it may, the title of ‘junior’ does not exist at the company. “New hires, from the newest newbie to the vettiest veteran all have to prove themselves and we default to believing in them, otherwise we would not have asked them to join our team”, notes Hypixel Studios on their company website.
"I've started at Hypixel before I finished school and now I am standing side by side in an amazing team working on a game for millions of players.
When I started at Hypixel we were the underdog in a landscape of Minecraft servers. It was the wild west and we let no time pass to become #1. When times were hard, we worked harder, when times were prosperous, we leveled up.
The next level we want to reach is shipping the game and as an engineer, there is no more challenging task than running a sandbox game with limitless possibilities on unknown hardware. The company clears every barrier we encounter as a team and allows us to focus on what matters. Making the greatest and technically difficult game in the genre."
Engine Programmer Slikey