Hytale plans proximity voice chat and single-player portals for drop-in multiplayer
Hypixel Studios is working on two social systems for Hytale that change how friends join each other and how in-world voice works, the studio’s founder said during a YouTube interview this week. The studio confirmed that proximity voice chat is being developed and that single-player worlds will support multiplayer via a built object players can use as an access point.
In an interview with YouTuber ElRichMC founder Simon Collins-Laflamme said, “I want the game to be more social, so I was thinking, what if, to invite your friends, you have to make a portal? And when you leave the game, they go out from that portal, to make it more immersive,” and added that one goal is the ability to “invite your friend with no need to change your firewall settings.”
Collins-Laflamme was careful with the timeline. He confirmed proximity chat is in the works but said he is “not sure” whether the feature will be ready for early access. He also called voice chat “very important” for Hytale and suggested it will expand what players can build and share, especially given the game’s modding ambitions.
Designing multiplayer access as an in-game item is a small twist with practical advantages. It keeps the entry ritual in the game, removes the need for network tweaks, and gives creators an obvious place to script events around visiting players. It also makes griefing and moderation a topic that deserves more attention before ship day. Those moderation concerns are already part of the broader conversation around proximity chat in live games. The interview and comments come as Hytale prepares for early access and after the studio’s founders reacquired the project from Riot Games.
Readers who want to hear Collins-Laflamme’s answers directly can watch the full interview below.
If you have thoughts about proximity chat or in-game portals about Hytale, join the conversation and follow updates on X, Bluesky, and YouTube.
Hytale
Developed by Hypixel Studios
