Hytale's third major update has arrived, marking four full weeks since the game entered Early Access. Update 3 introduces several highly requested features that deepen the survival and exploration experience across Orbis.
1. Animal Taming: Your First Companions
The headline feature of Update 3 is the introduction of an early animal taming system. Players can now build trust with certain friendly creatures by offering their favorite foods.
How It Works
- Feed to Befriend: Hold an animal's preferred food item and interact with it. Over time, the creature will warm up to you.
- Tamed Behaviors: Once tamed, animals will no longer flee from you (unless attacked). They'll occasionally greet you with happy animations.
- Utility: Depending on the species, tamed animals can be petted, fed, milked, sheared, or even mounted as rideable companions.
Explorer's Note: Not all animals can be tamed in this initial release. Focus on the "friendlier" species first — aggressive predators remain hostile regardless of food offerings.
2. Sickle: The Farmer's Best Friend
A brand new tool category has been added to the game — the Sickle.
- Multi-Crop Harvest: Unlike standard tools, the sickle can harvest multiple crops in a single swing, dramatically improving farming efficiency.
- Crafting: The Crude Sickle can be crafted at a Level 2 Farmer's Workbench using tree logs and stone.
- Future Tiers: Higher-tier sickles are expected in future updates with increased harvest range.
3. Custom Map Markers
Navigation across the vast world of Orbis just got significantly easier with the new Custom Map Markers system.
- Full Customization: Place markers anywhere on the map with custom names, icons, and colors.
- Multiplayer Sharing: Markers can be shared with other players on the same server, enabling coordinated exploration.
- Compass Integration: The compass now displays different icons based on whether a marker is above or below your current elevation.
- Management: Toggle marker visibility on both the map and compass through gameplay settings, and delete markers via the map's context menu.
4. Climbing Overhaul
The climbing system has received a comprehensive upgrade:
- Side-Stepping: You can now move laterally while climbing ladders and vines.
- Controlled Drops: Release and re-grab during climbs for faster vertical traversal.
- Rope Rotation: Rotate around ropes and hanging elements for better positioning.
5. Additional Highlights
Localization
- Brazilian-Portuguese and Russian language support has been added, with community translators playing a major role.
Avatar Presets
- Save and quickly switch between up to 5 different avatar customizations, perfect for multiplayer sessions.
Fire Spread System
- A new physics-driven fire spreading mechanic has been implemented. Flames now propagate through flammable materials realistically.
Grass Spreading
- Grass blocks now naturally spread across dirt surfaces over time, allowing deforested areas to gradually recover.
Combat Adjustments
- Ranged weapon projectile behavior has been refined for better responsiveness.
- Spears now stack in inventory.
- Summoned creatures react more quickly to threats.
Update 3 represents a significant leap in Hytale's sandbox depth. With taming, farming improvements, and quality-of-life changes, Orbis is becoming a more living, breathing world with each update.