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

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.

I still think Lucky Mining is one of the best Hytale mods, but these changes go a long way in making mining and gear progression feel more rewarding.

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.

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