- What is it?
- Main character
- Platforms
- Early access
- Release date
Once again, a young royal of the Underworld seeks to accomplish the impossible.
Hades 2 is on the way, with developer and publisher Supergiant Games crafting a sequel to its 2020 roguelike adventure. Hades 2 looks to offer more of the same, but with some new characters and a new spin on trying over and over in the face of insurmountable odds.
As the first-ever sequel developed by Supergiant Games, there's already a fair bit that we know and can expect from Hades 2. Here's everything you need to know and the answers to some frequently asked questions.
What is Hades 2?
Best answer: Hades 2 is the sequel to the 2020 roguelike game Hades. Using godly powers and repetition, players push through increasingly difficult zones, advancing the story and learning more about the world and characters.
In December 2018, developer and publisher Supergiant Games released Hades in early access. Almost two years later in September 2020, the team launched Hades in full. Hades is an isometric roguelike game, with players slowly gaining new abilities and weapons, while randomized powers and encounters mean no two "runs" are exactly alike.
Hades launched to critical acclaim — we gave it a perfect score in our Hades review and I later lauded the quality of Hades in its Xbox Series X port — and commercial success, with the game reaching a million copies sold within three days of its official 1.0 release.
Hades 2, which was announced during the Game Awards 2022, is following in the footsteps of its forerunner, being an isometric roguelike game where players are expected to die over and over while slowly gaining more power. Hades 2 is notably the first sequel to ever be developed by Supergiant Games, with the team citing the first game's reception and its own love of Greek mythology as reasons to focus on expanding this universe.
One unique feature in Hades that will also be present in Hades 2 is the addition of "God mode," a difficulty setting that increases the player's resistance to damage by a tiny amount each time they die, meaning that the game gets just a bit easier over time, up to a certain point. This is an optional mode that can give an extra nudge (if needed) for anyone newer to roguelikes that just want to focus on the story.
Who is the main character in Hades 2?
Best answer: Melinoe, Princess of the Underworld, is the protagonist of Hades 2.
In Hades, the protagonist was Zagreus, son of the titular deity and Prince of the Underworld. Hades 2 gives players control of the previously-unknown Melinoe, the Princess of the Underworld. Like her brother, Melinoe has a mission. Instead of trying to escape the Underworld and reach the surface, Melinoe is attempting to kill Chronos, the Titan of Time, who has escaped his eternal torment and is seeking revenge against Olympus.
Supergiant Games is teasing that Melinoe delves into witchcraft, with magical power and "shadowy weapons," which are seemingly connected to the goddess Hecate. Just like Zagreus, Melinoe will be obtaining boons from Olympus that can empower her, with the gods Zeus and Apollo directly confirmed to make an appearance.
What platforms is Hades 2 coming to?
Best answer: Hades 2 is currently confirmed for launch on Windows PC (via Steam and the Epic Games Store) and is expected to launch across all consoles.
Hades 2 is only technically confirmed to be launching on Windows PC for now. The developers do expect it'll come to consoles as well.
The original Hades launched on Windows PC and Nintendo Switch at the same time, while the Xbox and PlayStation console versions arrived almost a year later in August 2021. As such, there's some precedent for Hades 2 possibly only launching on some consoles before arriving on others a bit later.
What is Hades 2 early access?
Best answer: Hades 2, like its predecessor, is going to launch in early access to allow the developers to respond to feedback. The early access period is expected to begin at some point in Q2 2024.
Hades first launched in early access in 2018, allowing the developers to fix bugs and slowly expand the story for players before the game fully launched in 2020. Hades 2 will have a similar early access period that is slated to begin sometime from April-June 2024.
Supergiant Games is asking players who choose to partake in early access to share feedback in order to help the team iterate and polish different ideas. Hades 2 is expected to launch in early access with "at least" as much playable content as the first Hades had when it was in early access, with multiple major updates planned that will expand the scope and story through new features and characters. Naturally, anyone that buys the game in early access will get the full version at no extra cost.
Signups are now available on Steam for the Hades 2 technical test, which is going to be held right before early access kicks off. The point of this playtest is to gather crucial feedback and fix the most glaringly obvious bugs before additional players jump in through early access.
When is the release date for Hades 2?
Best answer: Hades 2 does not currently have a release date, but it's likely not launching until 2025 at the earliest.
Hades 2 does not have an official release date. Even so, it's extremely safe to say it won't be fully launching in 2024, with early access planned to begin around roughly the halfway mark of the year.
With that in mind, it's possible that the game could fully launch at some point in 2025, but it depends on the scope of the game and if it'll be bigger than the original Hades. If so, a version 1.0 launch at some point in 2026 isn't out of the question.
Game development is often an uncertain process, so while Supergiant Games making its first-ever sequel might help development to move faster than on the first game, that's only speculation, and it's entirely possible that Hades 2 takes even longer to make than the first game. We'll have a better idea of how long it'll be depending on how things go in early access.
