Hytale x CurseForge "New Worlds" Contest: $100,000 in Prizes for Modders

Hypixel Studios and CurseForge have officially launched the "New Worlds" modding contest, the largest Hytale competition to date. With a $100,000 prize pool and 65 winners across multiple categories, this is a massive opportunity for modders, world builders, and creators of all skill levels. The contest was announced on March 3 by Simon Collins-Laflamme (CEO of Hypixel Studios) and CurseForge, and submissions are open right now. Whether you're an experienced modder or just getting started with Hytale's creation tools, there's a category and prize tier for you. Prize Pool Breakdown The $100,000 prize pool is split across three main judged categories, plus community voting prizes and mid-contest bonus drops: WorldGen V2 ($27,000) Create generated worlds using Hytale's visual node editors. Submissions should feature themed biomes, regions, or zones with strong landmarks and exploration potential. This category is all about building new worlds that players want to explore. PlacementPrize 1st Place$10,000 2nd Place$7,500 3rd Place$2,500 4th through 10th Place$1,000 each NPCs ($27,000) Bring life to Hytale by creating critters, enemies, or boss fights using the asset-driven NPC system. Creatures with personality, strong visual design, and fun combat interactions will stand out here. The same prize structure applies: $10K for first, $7.5K for second, $2.5K for third, and $1K for places 4 through 10. Experiences ($27,000) Build adventure maps, minigames, hard modes, or progression systems that offer new gameplay styles. This is the broadest category, so anything from a puzzle dungeon to a competitive PvP arena to a full survival overhaul could qualify. Same prize structure as the other two categories. Community Favorites ($10,000) Five winners will each receive $2,000, chosen by community voting. This means even if you don't win a judged category, the community can still reward your work. Finalists will be announced on May 5 and voting will run until May 12. Mid-Contest Drops ($9,000) Throughout the contest period, 30 winners will receive $300 each across three separate drops (10 winners per drop). These bonus prizes reward early and consistent participation, so don't wait until the last week to submit. Important Dates DateEvent March 3, 2026Submissions open April 28, 2026Submissions close May 5, 2026Finalists announced, community voting opens May 12, 2026Winners announced That gives you nearly 8 weeks to build and polish your submission, which is a generous timeline for a modding competition of this scale. How to Enter Entering the contest requires three steps: Create a Mod Author account on CurseForge if you don't already have one Upload your mod project to CurseForge with all required files and documentation Complete the official submission form on the New Worlds contest page You can submit multiple projects and enter multiple categories, but each person can only win one judged category prize and one mid-contest reward. Team submissions are allowed, with the prize going to the project owner to distribute. Rules and Eligibility A few important rules to keep in mind before you start building: Projects must be created after Hytale Early Access launch (January 2026). You can't submit mods that existed before the contest was announced. AI-generated visual assets are prohibited. Your textures, models, and visual work need to be made by hand or with standard creation tools. AI-assisted code is likely fine, but AI art is explicitly banned. A valid CurseForge account is required for submission. The contest is open worldwide. Why This Matters for the Hytale Community This is a significant step from Hypixel Studios. The first community-organized Mod Jam in February had a $5,000 prize pool and drew over 160 entries. Now the studio itself is putting up 20 times that amount and partnering directly with CurseForge to run the competition. For modders, the message is clear: Hypixel Studios is investing heavily in the creator ecosystem. A $100K prize pool signals that they see community-created content as core to Hytale's long-term success, not just a nice bonus. For players, this means a flood of high-quality mods over the next two months. Even if you're not competing, keep an eye on CurseForge for new worldgen packs, NPC mods, and gameplay experiences coming out of this contest. Get Involved CurseForge has set up a dedicated Discord server for the contest where you can find teammates, get mod author support, and share work-in-progress builds. If you've been thinking about trying Hytale modding, this is the perfect excuse to dive in. Check out the full rules and submit your entry at the official New Worlds contest page. And if you're building a server around your contest mod, don't forget to list it on HytaleCharts so players can find and test your creation. Good luck to all participants. We'll be covering the finalists and winners here on the blog.