Nah voxels been around since the dawn of time. Just not in mainstream games. And not as destructable landscape.
http://web.archive.org/web/201006151...h/paradise.htm
But its been figured out forever. Its just never been marketable to AAA studios till now.
EQ Next would be the first to use it as a main feature. I think some other games have voxel tech in them but their not used except in special circumstances.