When is the Hades 2 release date? After the runaway success of Hades, fans are excited to see what Supergiant Games has in store for the follow-up to the huge indie hit. When will you be able to get your hands on it, though?
The mythological roguelike game was revealed during The Game Awards 2022. Despite receiving critical praise for their previous titles, Hades 2 is the first sequel Supergiant Games has ever made. We’re expecting big things from the devs – the original Hades was so good that it made our best PC games list. So with all of the fluff out of the way, it’s time to take a look at everything we know so far about Hades 2, including its release date estimate, story, trailers, and gameplay.
Hades 2 release date estimate
We expect the Hades 2 release date to be around March 2025 based on the early access release window now being known. This is due to the 22-month gap between Hades’ early access (December 2018) and full release (September 2020).
In September 2023, Supergiant revealed that “Hades II will have at least as much content from day one in early access as the original game did back when it launched in Early Access on Steam”. This explains why Hades II isn’t available in early access right now: even though the team wants to release the game ahead of time, they need to continue with development until they have a good amount to show off.
Based on the first game, we expect Hades 2 platforms to be PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X/S, and PS5, though console release will likely come after early access as it did with the original Hades.
Hades 2 early access release date window
Supergiant Games confirmed in a dev update that the early access Hades 2 release date will fall sometime during Q2 2024, on Steam and the Epic Games Store.
Just like the original, Hades 2 will be made available as an early access title on PC to help keep the game’s balance in check. As Hades 2 was initially revealed at The Game Awards 2022, we hoped for an early access update at Summer Games Fest 2023 in June, but have finally been given the information we’ve been waiting for — well, sort of.
While altering the original expectation that early access would launch in 2023, Supergiant explains: “Even though early access inherently means a game is not yet complete, we still want to do everything we can to make sure Hades II is worth your while as soon as you can play it in any capacity.”
Hades 2 technical test
The September 2023 blog post also revealed that a Hades 2 technical test will take place shortly before the early access release with a “limited sample of players.” It’s intended to stress the limits of the game engine by testing the effects, monsters, and certain combinations of boons and weapons.
This technical test will consist of the first area, including the first boss. Once you defeat them, an in-game message will pop up showing that you can only slay this boss up to five times before the technical test stops working for you. While it’s technically underway, you can still register your interest.
Hades 2 trailer
The first and currently only trailer for Hades 2 was shown during The Game Awards 2022. It begins with an animated cinematic featuring the game’s protagonist, Melinoë. She’s fighting against Hecate, a Greek goddess often associated with witchcraft, who appears to be a mentor of sorts to Melinoë. After being defeated by Hecate, they share a few words before both speaking the words “Death to Cronos”, referencing Cronos, the leader of the Titans of Greek myth, and father of Zeus, Hades, and their siblings.
The second half of the trailer focuses on gameplay, showing off some of the new areas that players have access to. It also introduces a few of the gods that players will interact with, including Apollo, Nemesis, and Moros, the son of Nyx. The trailer ends with a still of Hades in chains issuing a warning about Cronos before Melinoë pledges to rescue him.
Hades 2 story and gameplay
Hades 2 sees players taking control of Melinoë, a daughter of Hades and sister to the original game’s protagonist, Zagreus. The titan Cronos escapes imprisonment in the Underworld to seek revenge against the gods of Olympus who trapped him there.
Supergiant has described Cronos as the ‘Titan of Time’, suggesting that this Cronos is a combination of the titan Cronos, the aforementioned father of Zeus and Hades, and Chronos, the Greek personification of time. These two characters were often believed to be one and the same by the Greeks. It’s confusing, we know. The game is set in the Underworld again, this time featuring brand-new locations, dangerous enemies, and more.
While you won’t need to have played Hades to understand the story of Hades 2, Supergiant has confirmed there will be plenty of references to the first title. The devs have promised even more references to Greek mythology and culture that made the world so enthralling the first time around.
While we don’t know very much about Hades 2 yet, based on the announcement trailer, it seems safe to assume that the gameplay is largely similar to that of the original. The roguelike elements and isometric view remain, and while the Boons system looks to be returning, it appears that an all-new pantheon of gods will provide the upgrades this time around.
Furthermore, it appears that Melinoë has a larger focus on magic during combat, unlike Zagreus. Supergiant describes her as “an immortal witch and sorceress with powerful magical abilities”, as well as possessing “deadly skill with a variety of shadowy weapons”. This magic can be seen in certain parts of the trailer, both in her fight with Hecate and in the gameplay itself.
And there we have it, that’s everything we know about the Hades 2 release date so far. Don’t forget to check out our list of the best action-adventure games if you’re craving to play something with great combat like Hades. We also have a list of the best indie games if you’re searching for games that don’t require a beefy computer.