India, June 25 -- The long-hyped Minecraft challenger meets a quiet, definitive end.

Hytale is done; the Minecraft-like sandbox game we once celebrated is no more. Riot Games has officially killed Hytale and, in a surprise move, has also shut down Hypixel Studios, which was working on the game. What started as a modding project in 2013 with so much fanfare is ending in disappointment and dissolution.

In the early 2010s, Hytale was the dream title. Created by the developers of the Hypixel Minecraft server, it had huge worlds, modding tools, scripted quests, multiplayer, and a block aesthetic that immediately made people think of Minecraft.

It wasn't just the concept that was hyped. The 2018 announcement trailer has over 60 million views...