Hytale modder is turning classic Pokemon into an MMO you can play with friends

A creator is building PokeWorlds Online, a fan-made server that recreates classic top-down Pokemon inside Hytale so players can eventually explore and battle together.

The project was announced on September 14 by the PokeWorlds Online account, which describes it as a free fan-made Pokemon MMORPG with multiple regions, custom content, events, and adventures. The project is not affiliated with Nintendo, and no release date has been announced.

Hytale is currently in Early Access, with creator tools and community servers positioned as major parts of the game. Hypixel Studios has said that much of Hytale’s blocks, items, NPCs, user interface, world generation, systems, and behavior can be changed through mods. Hytale’s official modding strategy describes the game as being built with modding at its core.

https://twitter.com/pokeworldonlin/status/2099499679314542720?utm_source=chatgpt.com

The footage looks like Pokemon running inside Hytale

A four-minute work-in-progress video shows a 2D, top-down Pokemon game operating inside Hytale. The showcase includes a Kanto-style town, a Pokemon Center, party and inventory menus, character movement, trainer battles, and turn-based combat.

One battle features Charmeleon and Venusaur facing Turtwig and Chimchar, while another shows the player encountering a pair of trainers. The video also displays Pokemon stats, moves, held items, and health bars.

When another developer asked how the creator built the game’s tiles and animations, PokeWorlds Online replied: “One tile = one block. Everything is at the same Y-coordinate. 2D top view.”

https://twitter.com/Krtzyy/status/2099836990996742369

The creator also confirmed that the project partially uses RPG Maker XP’s Pokemon Essentials framework. The footage is labeled as subject to change, and the account has warned that the project will require a huge amount of work.

The concept caught the attention of Hytale creator Simon “Hypixel” Collins-Laflamme, who reacted to the showcase with a GIF. Content creator Krtzyy also shared the announcement, writing that “this isn't an emulator, this is a hytale mod” and expressing surprise that users were building entire games inside Hytale.

Nintendo could still become a problem

PokeWorlds Online says the project will eventually feature well-known regions and more Pokemon, while also allowing custom regions, Fakemon, and other original content. The creator has also said the long-term goal is to demonstrate Hytale as a game engine instead of simply adding new content to its survival mode.

https://twitter.com/pokeworldonlin/status/2099868934316962021

That ambition has already raised questions about Nintendo’s response. In replies to the announcement, the creator said they would remove the Pokemon assets if Nintendo intervened and replace them with custom creatures. They also clarified that PokeWorlds Online is not a ROM emulator like PokeMMO.

For now, the project remains an early showcase rather than a playable release. The creator has admitted they are not sure they will be able to finish it, but the reaction suggests PokeWorlds Online has already become one of the clearest examples of Hytale’s potential as a platform for completely different games.