Realm News

Discover the captivating rise, fall, and potential rebirth of Hytale, the ambitious voxel-based game once hailed as Minecraft’s spiritual successor, in this week's Realm News Flash. Hosted by The Dark Lord, this episode dives deep into Hytale's origins with Hypixel Studios, its tumultuous journey under Riot Games, the heartbreaking cancellation, and the glimmer of hope for revival fueled by gaming legends like Simon Collins-Laflamme and ConcernedApe of Stardew Valley fame. Explore the passionate community's reactions, the devastating impact of scope creep, and the relentless efforts to save a game that captured millions of hearts worldwide.

Patreon: patreon.com/RealmNews

Work Cited

Allsop, Ken. “The Founder of Riot’s Canceled Minecraft Rival “Will Reach Out” about a Revival, but Makes No Promises.” PCGamesN, 29 June 2025, www.pcgamesn.com/hytale/revival-riot-games-minecraft-rival. Accessed 29 June 2025.

Brown, Fraser. “Riot Games Acquires Hytale Developer Hypixel Studios.” PC Gamer, 16 Apr. 2020, www.pcgamer.com/riot-games-acquires-hytale-developer-hypixel-studios/.Accessed 28 June 2025.

Chalk, Andy. “After More than 7 Years of Development with Nothing to Show for It, Riot Cancels the Minecraft-Inspired Sandbox RPG Hytale and Closes the Studio Making It.” PC Gamer, 23 June 2025, www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/after-more-than-7-years-of-development-with-nothing-to-show-for-it-riot-cancels-the-minecraft-inspired-sandbox-rpg-hytale-and-closes-the-studio-making-it/.Accessed 28 June 2025.

“Federal Corporation Information - 841448-3 - Online Filing Centre - Corporations Canada - Corporations - Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada.” Canada.ca, 2025, ised-isde.canada.ca/cc/lgcy/fdrlCrpDtls.html?corpId=8414483. Accessed 28 June 2025.

hershohm. “Open Source Any Playable Build of Hytale.” Change.org, 23 June 2025, www.change.org/p/open-source-any-playable-build-of-hytale?source_location=psf_petitions.Accessed 28 June 2025.

“Hypixel.” Wikipedia, 30 Mar. 2021, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypixel.

“Hytale.” Hytale, 2020, www.hytale.com/news/2020/4/announcement-faq-april-16-2020.Accessed 29 June 2025.

Noxy. “Hytale.” Hytale, 2025, www.hytale.com/news/2025/6/a-difficult-update-about-hytale.

Serin, Kaan. “OG Hytale Founder Confirms He “Will Reach Out” to Riot Games about Buying Back the Minecraft Rival: “the Chances of Revival Are next to Impossible… It’s the Least I Can Do.”” GamesRadar+, 29 June 2025, www.gamesradar.com/games/adventure/og-hytale-founder-confirms-he-will-reach-out-to-riot-games-about-buying-back-the-minecraft-rival-the-chances-of-revival-are-next-to-impossible-its-the-least-i-can-do/. Accessed 29 June 2025.

Simpkins, Jen. “First Look: Hytale Is Putting Adventure and Creativity at the Heart of Its Ambitious Block-Building Sandbox.” GamesRadar+, 24 Feb. 2020, www.gamesradar.com/hytale-first-look-preview/. Accessed 29 June 2025.

Stuart, Keith. “Minecraft: How a Change to the Rules Is Tearing the Community Apart.” The Guardian, The Guardian, 24 June 2014, www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/jun/24/minecraft-how-a-change-to-the-rules-is-tearing-the-community-apart. Accessed 29 June 2025.

Wikipedia Contributors. “Hytale.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 27 June 2025, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hytale.

—. “Scope Creep.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 8 Sept. 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scope_creep.

Wood, Austin. “Hytale Studio Founder Says He’d Spend $25 Million Buying It Back from Riot to Get the Game Finished, and in His Eyes It Was “Maximum 2 Years Away from a PC Release” over 5 Years Ago: “That’s How Much I Believe in It.”” GamesRadar+, 26 June 2025, www.gamesradar.com/games/rpg/ex-hytale-devs-say-the-game-looked-maximum-2-years-away-from-release-in-2019-and-systems-that-were-already-far-ahead-of-minecraft-were-changed-under-unrealistic-ambitions/. Accessed 29 June 2025.

Youtu.be, 2025, youtu.be/o77MzDQT1cg?si=SmgVPLZoJ1DV8SO3. Accessed 28 June 2025.

In Part 1 of our Minecraft Anthropology series, we dive deep into the mysteries of ancient structures with special guest NightSteak. Explore the significance of pottery sherds, from Angler to Blade, and uncover fascinating theories about the origins of Desert Pyramids, Wells, Ocean Ruins, and Trail Ruins. We discuss intriguing Reddit theories about Desert Temples—are they ancient graves, religious sites, or remnants of factional wars? Tune in to unravel the Overworld’s hidden past and the lore behind Minecraft’s most enigmatic structures.

patreon.com/RealmNews

NightSteak Links:

https://x.com/nightsteak9?s=21

https://block-display.com/author/nightsteak9/

https://minecraftonline.com/wiki/Newport_Museum

https://www.reddit.com/u/NightSteak/s/VFYIpL6v6z

Sources:

“Archaeology – Minecraft Wiki.” Minecraft Wiki, 2020, minecraft.wiki/w/Archaeology. Accessed 20 May 2025.

“Minecraft’s Desert Temple Conspiracy Theory.” Www.youtube.com, www.youtube.com/shorts/5wyw_w2WQVQ. Accessed 22 May 2025.

“Reddit - the Heart of the Internet.” Reddit.com, 2025, www.reddit.com/r/minecraftlore/comments/wqi0bw/my_own_theory_for_minecrafts_lore_part_1_of_3_to_4/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button. Accessed 22 May 2025.

“Reddit - the Heart of the Internet.” Reddit.com, 2021, www.reddit.com/r/GameTheorists/comments/p1jclg/minecraft_desert_temples_theory/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button. Accessed 22 May 2025.

“Reddit - the Heart of the Internet.” Reddit.com, 2020, www.reddit.com/r/GameTheorists/comments/kfhbu0/the_desert_temples_are_the_graves_of_the_ancient/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button. Accessed 22 May 2025.

“Reddit - the Heart of the Internet.” Reddit.com, 2019, www.reddit.com/r/GameTheorists/comments/ddkc9u/minecrafts_underwater_civilization_completely/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button. Accessed 23 May 2025.

“Reddit - the Heart of the Internet.” Reddit.com, 2022, www.reddit.com/r/minecraftlore/comments/z0bh92/ancient_city_portal_theory_detailed/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button. Accessed 23 May 2025.

“Reddit - the Heart of the Internet.” Reddit.com, 2023, www.reddit.com/r/Minecraft/comments/121kcqa/trails_tales_theory_the_trail_ruins_are_the_most/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button. Accessed 23 May 2025.

“Trail Ruins – Minecraft Wiki.” Minecraft Wiki, 2025, minecraft.wiki/w/Trail_Ruins. Accessed 20 May 2025.

In this episode of Realm News, The Dark Lord dives into the controversial new Minecraft additions—the "Lava Chicken" music disc and the "Dennis" painting—highlighting concerns about corporate overreach and the erosion of the game's creative freedom. With passionate critiques on the ease of acquiring the music disc and its blatant tie-in to the Minecraft movie, The Dark Lord argues that these updates undermine Minecraft's open-ended, player-driven narrative. The episode questions how such corporate influences may shape the future of Minecraft, all while inviting listeners to reflect on the impact of commercialization within their beloved game.

https://x.com/RealmNews247/status/1938016541972258993

In Realm News Flash 38: "Happy Ghasts & Hidden Agendas: The Minecraft Movie Connection" The Dark Lord dives deep into the latest Minecraft drop, questioning its artistic integrity amidst corporate influences. Is "Chase the Skies" just another update, or a strategic move by Microsoft to intertwine game elements with "A Minecraft Movie" for marketing gains? Explore new features like Happy Ghasts, Vibrant Visuals, and the "Dennis" painting, all seemingly tethered to the movie’s release. The episode unpacks theories on corporate overreach, hardware performance issues, and community reactions, offering a thought-provoking look at the intersection of creativity and commerce in the Minecraft universe.

patreon.com/RealmNews

bio.link/realmnews

Sources

Austin, Sophie. “Chase the Skies and Vibrant Visuals Playable Today.” Minecraft.net, Minecraft, 17 June 2025, www.minecraft.net/en-us/article/chase-the-skies-and-vibrant-visuals-playable-today. Accessed 22 June 2025.

Hetzner, Christiaan . “Microsoft Exec Admits the Console Wars Are Over: “We Lost the Worst Generation to Lose.”” Fortune, fortune.com/2023/05/05/microsoft-exec-phil-spencer-admits-the-console-war-lost-sony-playstation-nintendo-switch/.

Howard, Greg. X (Formerly Twitter), 2025, x.com/RealmNews247/status/1935112954367652076. Accessed 22 June 2025.

ibxtoycat . X (Formerly Twitter), 2025, x.com/ibxtoycat/status/1935636309445578795. Accessed 22 June 2025.

Lammers, Tim. ““A Minecraft Movie” Arrives on Digital Streaming This Week.” Forbes, 10 May 2025, www.forbes.com/sites/timlammers/2025/05/10/a-minecraft-movie-arrives-on-digital-streaming-this-week/. Accessed 22 June 2025.

---. ““A Minecraft Movie” Arrives on Digital Streaming This Week.” Forbes, 10 May 2025, www.forbes.com/sites/timlammers/2025/05/10/a-minecraft-movie-arrives-on-digital-streaming-this-week/. Accessed 22 June 2025.

---. ““A Minecraft Movie” Is Already Coming to Streaming on Max in June.” Forbes, 21 May 2025, www.forbes.com/sites/timlammers/2025/05/21/a-minecraft-movie-is-already-coming-to-streaming-on-max-in-june/. Accessed 22 June 2025.

microsoftword60. X (Formerly Twitter), 2025, x.com/microsoftword60/status/1935134926011253122. Accessed 22 June 2025.

“Minecraft – Youtooz Collectibles.” Youtooz, Youtooz Collectibles, 2025, youtooz.com/collections/minecraft. Accessed 22 June 2025.

Morris, Chris. “Microsoft’s Xbox Sinks as AI Soars.” Fortune, 26 Apr. 2024, fortune.com/2024/04/26/microsoft-xbox-sales-plunge/. Accessed 22 June 2025.

“Movie:Ghast – Minecraft Wiki.” Minecraft Wiki, 2025, minecraft.wiki/w/Movie:Ghast. Accessed 22 June 2025.

Phillips, Tom. “Minecraft Vibrant Visuals Update Finally Gives Mojang’s Game a Long-Awaited Visual Overhaul — but Only on Compatible Devices - IGN.” IGN, 17 June 2025, www.ign.com/articles/minecraft-vibrant-visuals-update-finally-gives-mojangs-game-a-long-awaited-visual-overhaul-but-only-on-compatible-devices. Accessed 22 June 2025.

“Vibrant Visuals: Experience Minecraft like Never before with Enhanced Graphics.” Minecraft.net, 2025, www.minecraft.net/en-us/vibrant-visuals-update?tabs=%7B%22tab-b-5a84571c05%22%3A0%7D. Accessed 22 June 2025.

VioletVortX. X (Formerly Twitter), 2025, x.com/VioletVortX/status/1935545809086324753. Accessed 22 June 2025.

Join The Dark Lord, "the one who puts the Real in Realm and expands your mind one block at a time," as he dives deep into the fascinating intersections of the real world and the Minecraft universe.

In Episode 76: The Campfire with Flint and Steel, explore humanity’s ancient relationship with fire and its significance in both history and Minecraft. From the discovery of fire by early humans to mastering campfire mechanics and flint & steel in-game, this episode is packed with engaging facts, community polls, and creative builds.

patreon.com/RealmNews

Balter, Michael . “Ancient Campfires Led to the Rise of Storytelling.” Www.science.org, 22 Sept. 2014, www.science.org/content/article/ancient-campfires-led-rise-storytelling.

“File:Tibet.flintpoach30017.JPG - Wikimedia Commons.” Wikimedia.org, 2022, commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tibet.flintpoach30017.JPG. Accessed 15 May 2025.

“Flint and Steel – Minecraft Wiki.” Minecraft Wiki, 2020, minecraft.wiki/w/Flint_and_Steel. Accessed 17 May 2025.

“Java Edition Indev 0.31 20100110 – Minecraft Wiki.” Minecraft Wiki, 2019, minecraft.wiki/w/Java_Edition_Indev_0.31_20100110. Accessed 17 May 2025.

“MINECON Earth 2018 – Minecraft Wiki.” Minecraft Wiki, 2018, minecraft.wiki/w/MINECON_Earth_2018. Accessed 17 May 2025.

Nuwer, Rachel. “How Conversations around Campfire Might Have Shaped Human Cognition and Culture.” Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Sept. 2014, www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/late-night-conversations-around-fire-might-have-shaped-early-human-cognition-and-culture-180952790/.

Price, Michael . “Artificial Intelligence May Have Unearthed One of the World’s Oldest Campfires.” Www.science.org, 13 June 2022, www.science.org/content/article/artificial-intelligence-may-have-unearthed-one-world-s-oldest-campfires.

Wayman, Erin. “The Earliest Example of Hominid Fire.” Smithsonian, Smithsonian.com, 4 Apr. 2012, www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/the-earliest-example-of-hominid-fire-171693652/.

“Ways of Catching a Spark: A History of Fire-Making Methods | Science Museum.” Www.sciencemuseum.org.uk, 30 Oct. 2022, www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/objects-and-stories/ways-catching-spark-history-fire-making-methods.

Wiessner, Polly W. “Embers of Society: Firelight Talk among the Ju/’Hoansi Bushmen.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, vol. 111, no. 39, 22 Sept. 2014, pp. 14027–14035, www.pnas.org/content/111/39/14027, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1404212111.

Wikipedia Contributors. “Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 24 Apr. 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourier-transform_infrared_spectroscopy.

Minecraft.wiki, 2025, minecraft.wiki/w/Campfire. Accessed 12 May 2025.

Join me for my direct and quite blunt opinion on the Vibrant Visuals that I experienced the day Chase the Skies released.

It is entirely an opinion piece and I hope I am not stepping on anyones toes. Please write in and let me know what our think of the latest drop.

bio.link/realmnews

Join The Dark Lord as he unpacks Minecraft's latest update, "Chase the Skies," featuring new mobs, items, and dazzling visuals. Plus, get exclusive insights on the upcoming Minecraft Netflix Animated Series straight from Annecy! Special guest King_Nexx joins to break it all down. Tune in, craft on, and stay ahead with Realm News Flash!

patreon.com/RealmNews

https://x.com/CUBL1TZ/status/1933260869321863443

Adams, Kevin. “Kinetic Media.” Kinetic Media, 29 Aug. 2020, www.kineticmedia.la/clients-blog/kevin-joe. Accessed 12 June 2025.

IMDb. “A.C. Bradley - Writer, Producer, Director.” IMDb, 2021, www.imdb.com/name/nm6409142/.Accessed 12 June 2025.

Lang, Jamie. “Netflix Teases Its Animation Pipeline in Annecy Studio Focus Line.” Variety, 12 June 2025, variety.com/2025/tv/global/minecraft-clash-of-clans-magic-the-gathering-netflix-1236429388/. Accessed 12 June 2025.

Moore, Kasey. “Every Animated Movie and Series Netflix Announced and Showcased at Annecy 2025.” What’s on Netflix, 12 June 2025, www.whats-on-netflix.com/news/everything-netflix-announced-and-showcased-at-annecy-2025/. Accessed 12 June 2025.

“Netflix Gets Animated at Annecy! - about Netflix.” About Netflix, 2025, about.netflix.com/en/news/netflix-gets-animated-at-annecy. Accessed 12 June 2025.

“What If...?” IMDb, 11 Aug. 2021, www.imdb.com/title/tt10168312/?ref_=nm_knf_t_1.Accessed 12 June 2025.

Flyingbark.com.au, 2022, www.flyingbark.com.au/company.

*This episode was rescheduled in order to be released early in light of Trumps troops occupying L.A. California. Realm News is highly opposed to this atrocity and the Trump Regime. Also, I wanted to release this before his birthday where he commandeered the military to put on a parade in his honor. Enjoy the show.

In this unique episode of Realm News, "The Dark Lord" dives into the fascinating world of the Uncensored Library, a groundbreaking digital space built within Minecraft to combat press censorship globally. Learn about its creation by Reporters Without Borders and BlockWorks, its mission to uphold freedom of speech, and the powerful symbolism embedded in its design. The episode also explores the global state of press freedom, highlighting the World Press Freedom Index and the challenges faced by journalists in countries like Russia, Mexico, and even the United States. Tune in to discover how this virtual library champions free expression in the face of authoritarian control.

patreon.com/RealmNews

bio.link/realmnews

Articles and Blog Posts:

ESRB, Patricia E. Vance, President. “What Parents Need to Know about Minecraft.” ESRB Ratings, 10 Mar. 2022, www.esrb.org/blog/what-parents-need-to-know-about-minecraft/.

Gerken, Tom. “Minecraft ‘Loophole’ Library of Banned Journalism.” BBC News, 13 Mar. 2020, www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-51883247.

McClure, Deven. “James Delaney Interview: Minecraft BlockWorks’ Founder Talks Building.” ScreenRant, Screen Rant, 29 Nov. 2022, screenrant.com/james-delaney-interview-minecraft-blockworks-founder/. Accessed 28 May 2025.

Staff. “Uncensored Library.” Minecraft.net, Minecraft, Nov. 2023, www.minecraft.net/en-us/article/uncensored-library.

Organizational Reports and Indexes:

Reporters Without Borders. “The World Press Freedom Index | Reporters without Borders.” RSF, 19 Apr. 2016, rsf.org/en/world-press-freedom-index.

Reporters without Borders. “World Press Freedom Index.” Rsf.org, Reporters without Borders, 2024, rsf.org/en/index.

Reporters without Borders. “RSF.” Bienvenue Sur Le Site de Reporter sans Frontières | RSF, 2024, rsf.org/en.

“RSF World Press Freedom Index 2025: Economic Fragility a Leading Threat to Press Freedom.” Rsf.org, 2025, rsf.org/en/rsf-world-press-freedom-index-2025-economic-fragility-leading-threat-press-freedom.

Websites and Digital Resources:

“RSF Opens ‘the Uncensored Library’ – the Digital Home of Press Freedom within a Global Computer Game | RSF.” Rsf.org, rsf.org/en/rsf-opens-uncensored-library-digital-home-press-freedom-within-global-computer-game.

“The Uncensored Library.” Blockworks, www.blockworks.uk/the-uncensored-library.

“The Uncensored Library – Reporters without Borders.” Www.uncensoredlibrary.com, 2020, www.uncensoredlibrary.com/en.

In Realm News Flash 36, The Dark Lord dives into the latest buzz surrounding the rumored sequel to Minecraft Dungeons, codenamed "Spicewood." Despite high anticipation at the Xbox Games Showcase, fans were left disappointed as no official announcement was made, leading to notable reactions within the Minecraft community. The episode recaps the history of the Spicewood speculation, key insider leaks, and the aftermath of the event. Plus, get a sneak peek into the upcoming episode, "The Spark of Civilization: Campfires, Flint and Steel in History and Minecraft," exploring humanity's ancient relationship with fire both historically and in-game. Don’t miss out on engaging community discussions, insider news, and more in this packed episode!

patreon.com/RealmNews

Related Realm News Flash episode over Spicewood

• https://open.spotify.com/episode/70wNMylFkgRMgGOzvnBPBP?si=0tlVZSxLTGm7HZ34WtiSTw

Sources

IGN. “Xbox Games Showcase 2025 & the Outer Worlds 2 Direct Livestream.” YouTube, 5 June 2025, www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CXEsBM9wDk. Accessed 8 June 2025.

Wilde, Tyler. “Xbox Games Showcase 2025 Live: All the Announcements in Real-Time.” PC Gamer, 8 June 2025, www.pcgamer.com/games/live/news/xbox-games-showcase-2025-everything-announced/. Accessed 8 June 2025.

Https://Www.pcgamer.com/Games/Xbox-Games-Showcase-2025-Preview-The-Big-Games-And-Developers-To-Expect-On-Sundays-Livestream/.

X (Formerly Twitter), 2025, x.com/_MINECRAFT_LIVE/status/1931779879370149900. Accessed 8 June 2025.

Join The Dark Lord, “the one who puts the Real in Realm and expands your mind one block at a time,” as we embark on an enthralling journey into the captivating world of bells, spanning both history and the virtual realm of Minecraft!

In this episode, we explore the ancient origins and evolution of bells, from their intricate art and science to their profound impact on human culture. We also delve into the history of the Minecraft bell and its in-game mechanics, examining its role in village life, raids, and Redstone contraptions. Along the way, we uncover fascinating facts about villager gossip, claiming bells, and hidden mechanics that add depth to the game.

But that’s not all! We also bring you our weekly poll results from the Minecraft community, where lively discussions about carrots and creative farming strategies straight from Reddit take center stage. These polls provide a glimpse into the passion and enthusiasm of the Minecraft community, and we encourage you to participate and share your thoughts.

Are you ready to expand your mind one block at a time? Hit play, step through the portal, and let’s embark on this extraordinary journey together!

Join the Patreon: patreon.com/RealmNews

“Bell – Minecraft Wiki.” Minecraft Wiki, 2018, minecraft.wiki/w/Bell. Accessed 13 Apr. 2025.

“Bell Foundries | National Bell Festival.” Bells.org, 2025, www.bells.org/bell-foundries.Accessed 13 Apr. 2025.

“Bell History | National Bell Festival.” Bells.org, 2024, www.bells.org/bell-history.

“Celebrate & Resonate | National Bell Festival.” Bells.org, 2025, www.bells.org/our-mission.Accessed 13 Apr. 2025.

“File:Chersonesos Bell.jpg - Wikimedia Commons.” Wikimedia.org, 2022, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6415243. Accessed 3 May 2025.

“Learn about the Different Parts of a Bell.” National Bell Festival, 5 Oct. 2020, www.bells.org/activity/learn-about-different-parts-bell.

“Merriam-Webster Dictionary.” Merriam-Webster.com, 2025, www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/campanology#h1. Accessed 14 Apr. 2025.

Smithsonian Institution. “Bells of Ancient China and beyond | Smithsonian Institution.” Smithsonian Institution, 2025, www.si.edu/spotlight/fsg-bells.

“Villager – Minecraft Wiki.” Minecraft Wiki, 2018, minecraft.wiki/w/Villager#Gossiping. Accessed 3 May 2025.