⚠️ Performance & Early Access Disclaimer

Driftroot is a large and ambitious worldbuilding project, and because of that, some players may experience longer loading times or occasional performance issues while entering the world. Despite this, the project is fully playable and will continue to receive optimization updates over time.

Both Hytale and Driftroot are still in active development. As Hytale continues to evolve through Early Access, Driftroot will continue evolving alongside it.

I created Driftroot with a very specific vision in mind — a world built around progression, atmosphere, and earned safety — and I didn’t want to compromise that vision by scaling the project down too early. While performance improvements are an ongoing priority, some optimizations will take time as the project continues to grow and improve.

Thank you for your patience, feedback, and support as Driftroot continues its journey upward.

Welcome to Driftroot — a survival region where safety isn’t given… it’s earned.

Players begin their journey along the Gravel Shores, where enemy density, limited visibility, and scarce moments of safety create immediate pressure. The shoreline serves as Driftroot's first challenge, forcing players to gather resources, craft tools, and fight for survival.

Moving inland, the wilderness thickens into the Birch Forest, a dense region of towering trees, moss-covered terrain, and hidden cave systems. Here, survival shifts from direct confrontation to navigation and awareness as visibility becomes a challenge of its own.

Beyond the Birch Forest lies the Spruce Forest, where larger trees and wider spaces create a different kind of isolation. Though more open than the forests below, the sheer scale of the landscape reminds players how far they still have to travel.

The forests eventually give way to the Alpine Tundra, a windswept transition zone covered in dense burgundy foliage. Open terrain may seem easier to navigate at first glance, but thick vegetation conceals pathways, creatures, and unexpected dangers.

Above the tundra rises Ascent, a mountainous biome inspired by the landscapes of Alaska. Here, elevation becomes the primary progression mechanic. Enemy density gradually decreases while traversal challenges increase, encouraging players to continue climbing toward the world above.

At the summit, the mountain fractures apart into Etherglade, a floating sanctuary where magic has embedded itself into the earth and lifted entire sections of land into the sky. Free from hostile creatures, Etherglade serves as a place of recovery, building, and long-term progression.

Yet Etherglade is more than a reward.

Hidden among the floating islands stands the Rootspire, an ancient structure containing the mysterious Heart of Orbis. Whether the Heart is responsible for lifting the land into the sky—or whether the world itself rose to protect it—remains unknown.

Driftroot is designed around progression through environment. Terrain, resources, wildlife, and biome transitions all work together to guide the player naturally through the world while supporting exploration, survival, and discovery.

What begins as a journey toward safety eventually becomes something much larger:

A search for the truth behind the floating world above.

Driftroot is an ongoing project, with future updates planned to expand its biomes, lore, and long-term vision.

Uagle's Notes

Driftroot 0.2.0

The climb has changed.

Over the past several updates, Driftroot has slowly grown outward from the shores, through the forests, and into the sky. With Version 0.2.0, the spaces between those places have begun to take shape as well.

Travelers moving inland may now find themselves crossing a new region known as the Alpine Tundra. Resting between the forests below and the mountains above, this windswept landscape is filled with dense burgundy foliage, rolling terrain, and open skies. At first glance it may seem easier to navigate than the forests, but appearances can be deceiving.

The mountain itself has become more alive. Rams now roam the higher elevations alongside Sheep and Lambs, giving the slopes a stronger sense of place and helping distinguish the wilderness above from the forests below. The wildlife of Ascent has also been expanded. New creatures now roam the mountains, helping the region feel more distinct from the forests below and bringing greater variety to the climb.

Travelers exploring Driftroot’s caves may notice new creatures lurking among the shadows. Cave Spiders have begun appearing throughout cave systems, while their more dangerous cousins can occasionally be found both underground and in the wilderness above. Though similar in appearance, Cave Spiders are far more common and considerably less threatening than a true Spider encounter. Their behavior and place within the world will continue to evolve as Driftroot develops, but for now, it may be wise to keep an eye on the darkness around you. Some paths are best traveled with a torch. Others may not be worth traveling at all.

Much of this update took place behind the scenes. Every biome in Driftroot has undergone a significant optimization pass, with PropDistribution being reworked across the entire region. The goal was simple: improve loading performance without sacrificing the atmosphere that makes each biome feel unique. A large portion of this update was dedicated to improving loading performance and world generation, helping to lay the groundwork for future expansions.

New building materials have also found their way into the world. Burgundy Moss Blocks and their variants can now be found throughout the region, alongside a new decorative resource known as Blue Mossy Rubble. These additions were inspired by the colors and textures of the higher elevations and provide more opportunities for creative building. Perhaps the most intriguing discovery, however, is the emergence of the Fragment of Driftroot. Crafted at an Arcanist’s Workbench, this strange artifact can be used on an Ancient Gateway to enter Driftroot itself. Where the fragments originate from, and why they remain connected to the region, is a mystery that has yet to be fully understood. And then there is the Rootspire. Rising from the floating lands of Etherglade, the Rootspire now stands as one of Driftroot’s most significant landmarks. Hidden within its ancient structure rests the Heart of Orbis, a relic tied to the very existence of the floating sanctuary above. No one knows exactly what role it played in the creation of Etherglade. Some believe the Heart of Orbis is responsible for the magic that embedded itself into the earth and lifted entire sections of land into the sky. Others believe the land rose to protect the Heart from something long forgotten below.

For now, the truth remains hidden among the floating islands.

Version 0.2.0 marks an important milestone for Driftroot. New lands have emerged, old mysteries have deepened, and the world continues to grow beyond its original borders.

The climb is no longer just about reaching safety. Now, it’s about discovering why the world rose in the first place.

Known Issues

Driftroot is currently in active development and is being built alongside Hytale Early Access. While the project is fully playable, a few known issues are being investigated.

Birch Forest is not currently spawning

Due to an issue with world generation, Birch Forest is currently not appearing in-game.
This is the highest-priority issue and will be addressed in a future update.

Minor issues when entering Driftroot

Players using /instance spawn Driftroot may occasionally spawn slightly above the intended location and receive minor fall damage upon entering the region.
Players may also occasionally spawn inside terrain when entering Driftroot.

Floating foliage in Alpine Tundra

Some plants and decorative foliage may appear floating above the terrain.
In some cases, caves can generate beneath this foliage, causing players to fall and take damage when walking over the area.

Thank you for your patience as Driftroot continues to grow and improve.

Driftroot remains an ongoing project, with future expansions planned to further develop the world above and below the mountain.

There are two ways to enter Driftroot: through a custom instance or by activating an Ancient Gateway using a Fragment of Driftroot. Follow the steps below to begin your journey.

Method 1 — Custom Instance

Create a new world
Enable Driftroot mod with the check-mark
When you have joined your new world, open the command input and enter "/op self"
Then input the command "/instance spawn Driftroot"

Method 2 — Ancient Gateway

Create a new world
Enable Driftroot mod with the check-mark
Craft a Fragment of Driftroot at an Arcanist's Workbench
Use the Fragment of Driftroot on the Ancient Gateway
Enter Driftroot