The mechanical properties of metals are largely depended on their chemical composition and microstructure. During hot plastic deformation, dynamic recovery, dynamic recrystallization, static recovery and static recrystallization are important microstructure evolution mechanisms, and new grains appear at the end of the deformation. In fact the grain evolution mainly relies on the thermomechanical parameters such as temperature, strain and strain rate for a specific chemical composition. Therefore, it is highly necessary to develop a new algorithm that better reflects the physical behavior observed in hot plastic deformation. The fundamental principles of cellular automaton(CA) model are summarized. The modelling method and the application of CA in microstructure simulation are introduced. In particular some of the recent advances in CA simulation of grain growth for static recrystallization and dynamic recrystallization are reviewed. At the same time, several major challenges are also analyzed and the future directions are forecast.