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 window, story, trailers, and gameplay.
Hades 2 release date speculation
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 and full release.
In September 2023, Supergiant reveals 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,” so we could also expect it to remain there for some time based on the mammoth 22 months that the original Hades was in early access for.
The original Hades entered early access in December 2018 and launched in September 2020. 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
Supergiant Games confirms in a Dev update that the early access Hades 2 release date will fall sometime during Q2 next year, so between April and June, 2024, onto 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 did hope for an update on Hades 2 early access 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 itself launch in 2023, Supergiant detail why. They “want to do everything [they] can to make sure Hades II is worth your while as soon as you can play it in any capacity”.
Hades 2 tech test
The September 2023 blog post also revealed that there is to be a technical test taking place shortly before the early access release with a “limited sample of players”. We don’t yet know how you can get involved in the Hades 2 tech test, but we will let you know as soon as we do.
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 brother to the original game’s protagonist, Zagreus. The titan Cronos has escaped imprisonment in the Underworld to seek revenge upon the gods of Olympus that 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.
