Hytale’s modding gold rush: CurseForge and Hypixel Studios dangle $100K for next-level NPCs and biomes

Hytale is teaming up with its partner modding platform CurseForge, run by Overwolf, to launch a modding contest dubbed the “Hytale New Worlds Modding Contest.” The modding competition comes with a lucrative $100,000 prize pool, which will be awarded to creators who keep pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in Hytale.

The Hytale New Worlds Modding Contest aims to encourage players to create new assets, NPCs, creatures, biomes, or bosses. After Hytale launched into early access on 13 January, despite a bumpy development history and nearly being indefinitely shelved by Riot Games, the community has grown into one of the fastest-growing communities, with over 2 million downloads and over 5,000 mods already available on CurseForge.

Simon Collins-Laflamme, CEO of Hypixel Studios, stated:

“Games thrive long-term because of their communities, and Hytale’s creators have already shown us that since launching into Early Access. Hypixel Studios is putting $100,000 behind this contest as a first step toward something much bigger to recognise and reward the people shaping Hytale’s future.”

The CEO and co-founder of Overwolf (which operates CurseForge), Uri Marchand, chimed in as well and said:

“The Hytale modding community had already proven what it’s capable of with over 5,000 mods created and over 20 million mods downloaded. This contest is our way of doubling down on those creators, giving them a $100,000 reason to push World Gen NPCs and Experiences further than we’ve ever imagined.”

To celebrate this milestone, Hytale has split its New Worlds Modding Contest into three categories, each offering a total of $27,000 in prize money.

First comes the WorldGen V2 category, where modders are encouraged to craft custom worlds with new regions, biomes, and zones using the game’s visual node editor.

The NPCs category invites modders to create new NPCs, bosses, and enemies, or update existing creatures with new behavioural patterns.

Last but not least is the Experiences category, where modders can tinker with the game to create fun new ways to enjoy Hytale, such as minigames, increased difficulty, or overhauled gameplay systems with added skill trees and upgrade pathways.

Each category splits the $27,000 prize pool: $10,000 for first place, $7,500 for second place, $2,500 for third place, and $1,000 for fourth through tenth.

However, Hytale’s New Worlds Modding Contest won’t end there. Once mod finalists are selected, community members will get to vote on their favourite mods across all categories. The five mods with the most community votes will each receive $2,000.

Enriching the prize pool, Hypixel Studios will throw in three surprise mid-contest drops during the submission period, handing over $300 to ten qualifying mods. That brings the total to 65 winners across multiple categories, giving modders from all niches a chance to win a hefty sum.

Hytale, which has been in development since 2015, was released into early access inmid-January 2026. It is playable on Windows, Linux, and macOS, and users have even reported success playing it on Valve's Steam Deck (via Linux installers) despite it not officially being available on the Steam storefront.