How To Mod Hytale – Installing Mods Guide

Hytale was built from the ground up with modding in mind, making it one of the most mod-friendly games available. Unlike Minecraft, which requires third-party mod loaders like Fabric or Forge, Hytale supports mods natively right out of the box. This guide covers everything from quick installation to understanding how the modding system works under the hood.

Getting mods running in Hytale takes just a few minutes by downloading mod files and placing them in the correct directory. The process is straightforward, and once mods are installed, they can be enabled or disabled on a per-world basis without affecting other saves. Check out our Top Mods Here.

Overview

For players who want to start modding immediately, the process is simple. Download mod files from CurseForge, place them in the Hytale Mods folder at %appdata%/Hytale/user data/Mods, then enable them in-game by right-clicking a world and checking the mods to activate.

The CurseForge app can also be used to browse and download mods, though if CurseForge is not working as intended, downloaded files must be manually moved to the correct folder due to a known directory issue.

Where To Get Hytale Mods

CurseForge serves as the official and primary hub for Hytale mods. Hypixel Studios partnered with CurseForge to ensure a dedicated modding section was available from day one of Early Access. The platform hosts hundreds of mods covering everything from quality-of-life improvements to entirely new gameplay mechanics.

To browse available mods, visit curseforge.com/hytale or use the CurseForge app. Mods are categorized and searchable, with filters for popularity, recent updates, and download counts. Each mod page includes descriptions, screenshots, version history, and user reviews.

Popular mods include Admin UI for server management, Lucky Mining for enhanced ore gathering, Advanced Item Info for detailed item statistics, and various cosmetic additions. New mods are uploaded daily as the modding community continues to grow.

Manual Installation

Manual installation provides full control over mod placement and organization. This method involves downloading mod files directly from CurseForge and placing them in the appropriate Hytale directory. Understanding this process also helps with troubleshooting any mod-related issues.

Finding The Hytale Mods Folder

There are two ways to locate the Hytale Mods folder. The quickest method uses the Hytale launcher directly. Open the launcher, click the gear icon in the top left corner, then select Open Directory. This opens File Explorer to the Hytale installation folder.

C:\Users\[your username]\AppData\Roaming\Hytale\UserData\Mods

From there, navigate to User Data, then Mods. This is the global Mods folder where most mods should be placed. Alternatively, press Windows+R, type %appdata%, press Enter, then navigate to Hytale > user data > Mods to reach the same location.

Global Vs World-Specific Mod Folders

Hytale uses two different mod folder locations, each serving a distinct purpose. Understanding the difference helps organize mods effectively and prevents confusion about why certain mods may not appear in-game.

The Global Mods Folder is located at user data/Mods (with a capital M). Mods placed here become available to all worlds. They will appear in the mod selection menu when editing any world, allowing players to enable or disable them.

The World-Specific Folder is located inside each individual world’s save folder at saves/[worldname]/mods (with a lowercase m). Mods placed here apply only to that specific world and will not appear as options for other saves. This is useful for keeping certain mods isolated to particular playthroughs.

Downloading And Installing Mod Files

Visit curseforge.com/hytale and browse for desired mods. On each mod’s page, click the Files tab to see all available versions. Click on the most recent compatible version, then click the Download button. The mod file will save to the default downloads location.

Open the downloads folder and locate the mod file. Drag and drop the file into the Hytale Mods folder (user data/Mods). Multiple mods can be selected and moved simultaneously. The game does not need to be closed during this process.

After placing mod files in the folder, they will appear in the in-game mod selection menu immediately. There is no need to restart Hytale or perform any additional steps. Simply edit a world to see and enable the newly installed mods.

Using The CurseForge App

The CurseForge app can be used to browse and download Hytale mods, but there is a known issue where the app places mods in the wrong folder. CurseForge downloads mods to AppData\Roaming\UserData\mods, but Hytale actually looks for mods in AppData\Roaming\Hytale\UserData\Mods. This means mods downloaded through CurseForge will not appear in-game without manual intervention.

To work around this issue, use the CurseForge app to download mods, then manually move them to the correct location. After downloading a mod in CurseForge, click the three dots menu next to the mod and select “Open Mods Folder” to locate the downloaded files. Copy these files and paste them into the correct Hytale Mods folder at AppData\Roaming\Hytale\UserData\Mods.

Until CurseForge updates its default Hytale directory or allows users to change it, this manual step is required. For a simpler experience, consider downloading mods directly from curseforge.com/hytale and placing them in the correct folder from the start, skipping the CurseForge app entirely.

Activating Mods In-Game

Installing mods is only half the process. Mods must be explicitly enabled for each world where they should be active.

This per-world system allows different saves to run completely different mod configurations without conflict.

Enabling Mods For Existing Worlds

Launch Hytale and navigate to the Worlds menu. Locate the world that should have mods enabled, then right-click it. This opens the edit menu, which displays world settings and a list of all available mods on the left side of the screen.

Each installed mod appears with a checkbox next to its name. Click the checkbox to enable a mod for this world. Multiple mods can be enabled simultaneously. After selecting the desired mods, click Save World Settings to apply the changes.

Launch the world normally after saving. All checked mods will now be active. To disable a mod later, right-click the world again, uncheck the mod, and save. Changes take effect the next time the world loads.

Enabling Mods For New Worlds

When creating a new world, mods can be enabled before the first launch. On the Create World screen, look for a gear or settings icon next to the Create World button. Click this icon to open the world configuration menu.

The same mod list appears here as in the edit menu for existing worlds. Check the boxes next to any mods that should be active from the start. After making selections, proceed with world creation as normal. The new world will launch with all selected mods already running.

How Hytale Mods Work

Hytale handles mods differently from most games, using a server-side architecture that significantly simplifies multiplayer modding. Understanding this system explains why mod management in Hytale feels so streamlined compared to other titles.

In Hytale, every play session runs on a server, even in single-player mode. When playing alone, the game creates a local server in the background. Mods are installed and run on this server rather than on the client. This architecture blurs the line between client-side and server-side modifications.

The practical benefit appears in multiplayer. When joining a friend’s modded server, guests do not need to install any mods themselves. The server automatically supplies all necessary mod data to connected players. Only the host needs mods installed, making it easy to play modded sessions with friends.

This system also enables per-world mod selection, which makes Hytale modding so flexible. Unlike Minecraft, where mod packs apply to an entire game instance, Hytale allows each world to maintain its own mod configuration. A heavily modded creative world can coexist with a completely vanilla survival world without conflict. For ideas on which mods to add to a world, see our list of the top Hytale mods worth installing.