GregTech: New Horizons 2.9 has now been in open beta for over a week and it's one of the most substantial updates the pack has seen. In this post, we’re giving you an overview of what’s new, for example the full rendering-engine overhaul and rework of the Applied Energistics.

If you're new to the topic: GTNH is a well-known and complex modpack built around GregTech, with thousands of quests and a progression curve measured in months, not hours. We’ve been offering high-end GTNH servers for over a year now at HypeServ, supporting people with great performance across some insanely complex runs.

Is GTNH 2.9 out yet?

Short answer: yes, but only in open beta. The first beta build (2.9.0-beta-1) arrived on 8 June 2026, with some nightly builds published since. However: There's no fixed stable release yet! GTNH has always shipped new releases, when they’re ready, rather than on a fixed date. A stable release is expected soon, but not promised for any specific time yet.

Beta means playable and stable enough to run on a server, with the understanding that things can still shift between now and stable. HypeServ already supports the 2.9 beta, and we’ll support the stable 2.9 release from day one.

You can start playing the 2.9 beta immediately on HypeServ by selecting the beta version from our version selector in your server settings.

What's new in 2.9?

• Graphics & modernization. The biggest single change is a massive Angelica rendering-engine update (Angelica 2.0), bringing full OpenGL 3.3 support, greatly improved Iris shaderpack compatibility (shadow maps, composite shaders) and Distant Horizons shader support. This is alongside a long tail of crash, memory-leak, and rendering fixes while GTNH 2.9 continues to run on both Java 8 and Java 17–25.

• Applied Energistics. AE2 and its companions got a coordinated overhaul. Highlights include a new Wireless Terminal Network Manager, a Crafting Diagnostic Terminal, and GUI tinting across AE2 interfaces. AE2FluidCraft-Rework adds Fluid Planes, a universal GUI, and a reworked cell-restriction system, plus Memory Card support for the Level Maintainer.

• Quests & core systems. A large BetterQuesting update underpins the questbook, and the GTNHLib core library adds a new team framework (GTNHTeams).

• Mod additions & removals. The update adds roughly 21 new mods and removes about 10. Notable quality-of-life additions include Freecam, MouseTweaks, an extreme sound muffler, and cosmetic armor; some library/dependency mods were also swapped.

For the complete change list, check out this post on github.

Should you start a new world or migrate?

Because 2.9 is still in beta, treat any world you start now as potentially needing a fresh start when stable lands. And if you decide to upgrade a beta to a stable world, make sure you always back up before performing the upgrade.

Once 2.9 is officially released, you should check GTNH's official migration guidance for 2.9 before deciding on a fresh start or migration. For players itching to dive in, starting fresh on the beta and then again on 2.9 full release will probably be the cleanest experience.

How to play 2.9 right now

Install the latest 2.9 beta through the official GTNH website (or Prism Launcher), ideally choosing the Java 17–25 version of the pack. For multiplayer, you'll want a server that can handle the pack's demands!

HypeServ has 2.9-ready servers, which run on the latest hardware ensuring your run stays smooth until stargate. Check out our GTNH specific offers here: https://hypeserv.com/en/rent-gtnh-server

System requirements at a glance

GTNH is a heavy pack, but it's not as RAM-hungry as its reputation suggests. For singleplayer, GTNH officially recommends 4–6 GB allocated to the client and with Java 8 you actually don't want to go much past 8 GB, since the older garbage collector is usually overwhelmed by too much memory. The newer Java 17–25 builds handle larger heaps far better, which is one more reason to run the modern version of the pack.

A dedicated server is a different story. For a small group you'll want 6–8 GB+ allocated to the server itself, and more as your base grows into sprawling GregTech processing lines and AE2 networks. The single most important spec, though, isn't RAM at all, it's single-thread CPU performance. GTNH runs the world on essentially one core, so a high-clock CPU matters far more than core count. That's exactly why we build our GTNH plans around high-frequency hardware rather than cheap many-core enterprise chips: it's the difference between smooth ticks and a stutter every time someone opens their AE2 terminal. Pair that with constant uptime and automatic backups, and a dedicated host beats self-hosting for anything past a solo run.

The bottom line

GTNH 2.9 is playable right now in open beta, and a stable release is on the way. Between the Angelica 2.0 rendering overhaul and the reworked Applied Energistics, it's a great moment to either start a fresh run or jump back into the deepest tech pack around.

If you'd rather skip the local-hosting headache and play 2.9 with friends, that's where we come in. Our GTNH servers run on high-frequency hardware tuned specifically for the pack, with the 2.9 beta ready today and stable support landing the moment it drops. Spin up your GTNH 2.9 server here and we'll handle the heavy lifting — you focus on the stargate.