Hytale Chapter I Adds Runestones and Goblin Gadgets

When Hypixel Studios gave players a first look at Hytale’s Chapter 1 back in July, game director Simon Collins-Laflamme admitted there weren’t many reasons to play the game right now. He targeted the chapter for release in the next two to three months, and Chapter I: Out of the Breach is now live in Exploration Mode. It’s the first content chapter of Hytale’s Early Access, which began on January 13, and players can start it on an existing or brand new world by heading to the Forgotten Temple and exploring the new Goblin Lab.

Once the chapter opens, a temporary Goblin Breach portal appears in the world, leading to an unstable fragment of Orbis that the goblins have claimed while the Void closes in around the edges. The area regenerates each time players enter, and the Void eventually pushes them out, though fighting back the Void and upgrading the Goblin Breach Console in the Goblin Lab earns more time. Inside the new Guttering Hollows biome are predators to track and trap, Void assassins, treasure chests that spawn enemy waves, and puzzles, along with a revamped goblin faction whose members will run from Void creatures unless they have enough friends nearby.

The goblins also brought seven new tools and gadgets, including a Scrap Drill that chews through a 2×2 patch of blocks at once and a Scrap Glider that can dive and climb while keeping its momentum. Rocket Boots add a double jump, the Hookshot zips players between Hook Anchors, and the Spyglass zooms in on whatever is happening in the distance. The set is rounded out by the Bangstick, a stick that goes bang when thrown, and a Goblin Repair Kit that fixes items without lowering their maximum durability.

Chapter I also introduces a Runestone ability system, where players slot Runestones into a Runebinder’s Lattice to shape how they fight. Avatars can equip up to two of the seven Ability Runestones, which include Fireball, Ground Slam, Wind Strike, and Chain Hook, and attach any of eight Modifier Runestones that split projectiles, make them bounce between enemies, add bleeding or withering effects, or trade damage for a faster cooldown. Abilities cost mana, which regenerates over time and gets a boost whenever a weapon’s signature ability hits an enemy.

According to the full changelog, the chapter also adds two new portal worlds, a boss fight, over 100 new cosmetics, French and Spanish language support, and 42 new exploration tracks across Zones 2, 3, and 4. Two minigames, Prop Hunt and Shuffle Jam, which features 12 microgames, will be available from the main menu shortly after launch. Cursebreaker Edition owners will also receive an extra Standard Edition copy to give away for every Early Access chapter Hypixel releases before 1.0.

Hytale Early Access: Chapter I (Official Trailer)