Simon@Simon_Hypixel
I want to talk about the in-game mod browser and monetization, but first: this is not a final answer or a locked policy! I'm brainstorming with the community because this is one of those decisions that can shape the game's future, and I want feedback before we commit to the exact model.
I've had people in DMs tell me Hytale needs paid mods, because modders put real work into their creations and should be able to earn from them. I've also had people tell me paid mods would destroy the ecosystem, because the mod browser would stop feeling like a place to explore and start feeling like a store.
Both sides have a point, and I don't think you have to pick one or the other. The model I keep coming back to is a hybrid that hasn't really been tried before: protect the player experience in-game while giving creators strong ways to earn player support.
Important note: none of these changes the EULA. This is not about taking away what modders can do outside the game. It's about what we choose to show and promote inside the in-game mod browser.
Here's my thinking: I want players to open the mod browser and feel like they're walking into a community library of cool things to try, not a shopping mall.
That doesn't mean I think modders shouldn't make money. Quite the opposite. I bring years of experience in modding and monetization, and I know the scene has evolved a lot. Creators put serious time into their work, and great modders should be able to build an audience, earn support, and make a living from what they create.
But there is a real cost when the first thing players see in a mod browser is price tags everywhere.
Mods are most magical when trying them is easy. You see something weird, useful, funny, beautiful, or ambitious, and you install it because there's no friction. That sense of discovery matters a lot to me.
There's also a deeper problem with paid mods that people don't talk about enough: the incentive structure between the game developer and the modder.
Imagine a creator makes an amazing fishing mod and sells it for $5. It gets huge. Later, the game team decides that fishing should be part of the base game. Suddenly, there's tension where there shouldn't be any. The creator feels like the game is stepping on their work, and if the studio is taking a cut from mod sales, it now has a financial incentive to leave feature gaps rather than fill them. Why add fishing to the base game if you're making money from someone else's fishing mod?
I really don't want that relationship. Our goal is to make a great game, give creators powerful tools, and let the whole ecosystem grow around that, not to leave holes for modders to fill and monetize.
So the direction is: mods in the in-game browser are free to install. No price tags in the browsing experience. No paywall as the default relationship between player and modder.
But creator support should be real.
We will give players ways to support their favorite creators, make creator profiles matter, highlight great work, and offer Hytale-side rewards for supporting modders: badges, titles, cosmetics, and so on. For example, if a player supports several creators, they get a special reward from us, not because they bought a mod, but because they supported the people building the ecosystem.
Longer term, there's room for something closer to an in-game Patreon-style system: support a creator, get early access to experimental builds or extra creator updates, while the mod itself stays free to browse and try. That part needs careful design, and I don't want to overpromise the exact shape today.
The principle is what matters: support should be pull, not push. Players should feel invited to support creators they love, not pressured every time they browse.
We make money when people buy the game and through optional cosmetics. That gives us a cleaner incentive structure: make Hytale better, invest in player experience, and help creators earn because players genuinely value their work.
BTW, if we ever handle creator payments directly, the only reason to take a cut would be to cover transaction and operational costs. We're not designing this around taking a percentage from modders.
This is not the obvious business-maximizing route. I know that. But I think it's the right one for players. I believe that if we are players first, we will do great in the long term.
I'd rather have a modding ecosystem that feels open, generous, creative, and alive than one where every cool idea immediately becomes another checkout screen. I believe we can help modders make great money while giving players a much better experience than a storefront-first model!
It will take time to get right, and some details will change as we build it. We'll share more as the mod browser takes shape, and I genuinely want to hear what players and modders think about this direction.
