Hytale's already adding necromancy, improved mining, and better world generation just over a week after launch

Hytale Memories: A third-person screenshot of a character wearing armour and holding a torch standing in front of a large blue portal in a ruin. — (Image credit: Hypixel)

It's been just over a week since launch, and Hytale already has its second major update on the way, uncreatively named Update 2. Unflattering name aside, this is a very hearty patch whipped up less than two weeks after launch, and the team isn't slowing down yet, as Hypixel CEO Simon Collins-Laflamme says, "Update 3 is already in the works".

But let's not get ahead of ourselves: Update 2 is currently available in pre-release testing (enable this via the launcher's settings menu), and if all goes well, it should be in everyone's hands come Friday or Saturday, suggests Collins-Laflamme.

The standout feature of Update is no doubt its improved mining experience. Pickaxes have been reworked to make higher-quality picks mine faster (frankly, I was baffled that wasn't how they worked initially). Building on that, while WorldGen V2 still isn't here, Hypixel has changed how ores are spawned. Namely, major ores are better distributed between the tiered zones, and there's much more ore overall, especially in the Devastated Lands.

Another major addition is necromancy. The Necromancy Grimoire can drop from the Skeleton Praetorian and lets you raise five minions from bone piles. We're still a long way off from the full magic system the developers envisioned, but necromancy is a good start. After Reddit went "full panic mode", Collins-Laflamme was careful to explain that "the grimoire is NOT the magic system at all", just a random "fun item" in the patch.

Just want to add a note, the grimoire is NOT the magic system at all. Seeing reddit go full panic mode thinking this is what we have in mind for magic is kinda insane, this is just a random drop fun item, it will evolve over time.We will have a proper mana and spell system in…January 22, 2026

Other than that, this update also includes the much-anticipated hide armour toggle, which can't come soon enough. In fact, Update 2 brings a few new customisation options like new face masks and mouth variants, so it's perfect timing, really.

You can read the full Hytale Update 2 patch notes below:

Cosmetics & Customisation:

New mask face accessories (available for all editions)
Armour slot visibility toggle (host-enforced for PvP/immersion)
New mouth variants: Vampire, Cute, Orc (all editions)
Berserker haircut tiling fixed
Updated haircuts, cape animations, petals & cloth visuals

Gameplay & Balance:

New magic: The Necromancy grimoire, which drops from Skeleton Praetorian, lets you raise up to 5 skeletal minions from bone piles (5-min duration or until the summoner dies)
Adamantite now requires a Thorium or Cobalt pickaxe
Pickaxe progression reworked: mining speed now scales with pickaxe quality
Faster rail karts (still not great, but faster!)
Tower exploit fixed (NPCs can now throw rocks at players)
Buffed polar bears and multiple skeleton types
All crops can now place produce in the world
Missing decorative light blocks added to the furniture bench
Adjusted hide drops (Light → Medium for some NPCs like cows)
Added permission for world map teleporting
Magma Rhino Toad attack updates (…maybe accidental buff)

World Generation:

WorldGen V2 prepared for public documentation (modder support)
New Default_Flat & Default_Void templates using WorldGen V2
Hub Portal now spawns with V2 flat worldgen (clear weather, limited fog, new worlds only)
Major ore placement refactor in all zones
- More ores, especially in the Devastated Lands underground
- Requires new chunks in existing worlds
Zone 1 dungeon environment fixes + new environment fixes (you might hear new soundtracks)

Farming:

Eternal crops no longer break from weapon damage
Increased tilled soil lifetime
Fixed soil decay under fully grown crops

UI / UX:

Improved editor block tooltips
Clothing colour tooltips added
Better hotbar active-slot contrast (diamond indicator, helpful in Howling Sands)
Memory categories sorted alphabetically
Scripted Brush QoL improvements
Inventory interaction updates (e.g. new keybind to pull all items from chests)
Optional FPS counter overlay
Player markers added to the compass
Ophidiophobia accessibility mode

Audio:

Added basic Rex sounds + additional audio fixes

Bug Fixes, Tech & Stability:

Server self-updater
Shadow improvements
Pick block works when the hotbar is full
Asset editor documentation fixed
Mantling fixes
Keybind persistence fixed
Improved weather transitions (still not perfect, but smoother)
Teleporter offset fixed
Rail karts now consume & place correctly
Bed respawn in unloaded chunks fixed
Food particle tint updates
Major server stability, validation, ECS, localisation & timeout improvements

Rory has made the fatal error of playing way too many live service games at once, and somehow still finding time for everything in between. Sure, he’s an expert at Destiny 2, Call of Duty, and more, but at what cost? He’s even sunk 1,000 hours into The Elder Scrolls Online over the years. At least he put all those hours spent grinding challenges to good use over the years as a freelancer and guides editor. In his spare time, he’s also an avid video creator, often breaking down the environmental design of his favourite games. If you can’t track him down, he’s probably lost in a cave with a bunch of dwarves shouting “rock and stone” to no end.

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