You're scrolling through YouTube, looking for that specific brand of Swedish chaos, and you realize it’s been a minute. A long minute. If you’ve been following the Hermitcraft server for any length of time, you know that the roster is legendary for its stability, but players do occasionally drift away. Naturally, the question starts popping up in every comment section: did Iskall leave Hermitcraft?
No. He didn't.
But the "no" comes with a lot of baggage, some burnout, and a massive project called Vault Hunters that basically ate his schedule alive.
The Reality of the Hermitcraft "Leave"
Hermitcraft isn't a job you quit with a two-week notice and an awkward HR meeting. It’s a whitelist. Once you’re in, you’re basically a Hermit for life unless you do something egregious or explicitly ask to be removed from the website. Iskall85 is still very much on that list.
The confusion usually stems from Season 9. While other players like Mumbo Jumbo took high-profile breaks, Iskall's absence felt different because he was still around—just not on the Hermitcraft server. He was streaming nearly every day. He was playing Minecraft. But he was deep in the trenches of developing his own modpack.
When a creator stops posting a specific series, fans panic. It's just the nature of the internet. People saw him grinding away on Vault Hunters and assumed he’d moved on for good. Honestly, it’s an easy mistake to make when you see someone pouring 40+ hours a week into a completely different version of the game.
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Burnout and the "Vanilla" Problem
Let’s be real for a second. Playing vanilla Minecraft for over a decade is hard.
Even with the amazing community on Hermitcraft, the core gameplay loop of "mine, craft, build a mega-base" can start to feel like a treadmill. Iskall has been open about the fact that he occasionally hits a wall with vanilla. During Season 9, he started a massive tree project—the "Omega Tree" vibes were back—but the momentum stalled.
If you've ever started a massive project in your own life and suddenly realized you'd rather do literally anything else, you know exactly where his head was at.
He didn't leave; he just stepped away to find the fun again. For Iskall, "fun" meant complicated modded mechanics, RPG elements, and loot. LOTS of loot. He found a new spark in game design, leading a team to build the Vault Hunters mod. It wasn't a betrayal of Hermitcraft; it was a survival tactic for his own creativity.
The Season 10 Refresh
If you were worried during the long silence of 2023, Season 10 brought the answer you were looking for. Iskall returned with a vengeance.
The start of Season 10 was a huge moment for the community. Seeing him interact with Mumbo Jumbo again—the "Iskall-Mumbo" duo is arguably one of the best comedic pairings in gaming—proved that the chemistry hadn't faded. They immediately jumped into "mucking about" and reminded everyone why they joined the server in the first place.
It wasn't about the builds. It was about the people.
He even addressed the "absence" in his early Season 10 episodes. He talked about how he needed that break to come back with actual excitement. Without that hiatus, he might have actually quit. By stepping away, he saved his spot on the server.
Why Fans Thought He Was Gone
- The Vault Hunters Explosion: His modpack became so successful that it spawned its own SMP (Survival Multi-Player) server.
- Streaming vs. YouTube: Iskall shifted heavily toward Twitch. If you only watch YouTube, it looked like he vanished. If you were on Twitch, he was everywhere.
- The "Inactive" Label: Some fan wikis started labeling him as inactive during the tail end of Season 9, which fueled the fire.
Is He Leaving Again?
The cycle of a content creator is never a straight line. Iskall is a "burst" creator. He goes 100% into something, burns bright, and then needs to recharge or switch gears.
Right now, he is an active member of Hermitcraft Season 10. He’s building, he’s pranking, and he’s part of the major server storylines. However, if Vault Hunters has a major update or a new "season" of its own, don't be surprised if he takes another month-long breather.
That is the beauty of Hermitcraft. The group, led by Xisuma and the other founding members, allows for this flexibility. They know that forcing someone to play when they're burnt out leads to them leaving forever. By letting Hermits come and go, the server stays alive.
What You Should Do Now
If you want to keep up with what's actually happening and avoid the "did he leave" rumors, you have to look past the YouTube sub box.
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First, check his Twitch VODs. That’s where the raw, unfiltered Iskall lives. You’ll see him testing mechanics and talking to his chat about his future plans long before they hit a polished YouTube edit.
Second, follow the Hermitcraft website or the "Hermitcraft Recap" on YouTube. The Recap team is incredible at tracking who is active and what they’re up to. If someone actually leaves the server, they are the first ones to report it accurately.
Finally, just enjoy the ride. Iskall is a unique talent in the Minecraft space. Whether he’s grinding vaults or building giant dioramas on the Hermitcraft server, he’s going to be loud, he’s going to be Swedish, and he’s probably going to say "hallå" more times than you can count. He’s still a Hermit. Relax.
Next Steps for Fans
- Watch the Season 10 Premiere: If you missed it, go back and watch Iskall's first few episodes of the current season to see his "homecoming."
- Check the Vault Hunters Website: To understand why he was gone for so long, look at the sheer scale of the modpack he was building. It’s a full-time job.
- Support the Hermitcraft Recap: This fan-run project is the best way to stay informed about the entire roster without having to watch 26 different channels.