Supergiant Games took us all by surprise when it announced Hades 2, a follow-up to its hit rogue-lite title. Launching in early access via Steam and the Epic Games Store in 2023, it sees players controlling Melinoe, the Princess of the Underworld, in a battle to defeat Kronos, the Titan of Time.
The Steam listing revealed players explore a “bigger, deeper mythic world,” with the story evolving based on your successes and setbacks (and Greek mythology’s connection with witchcraft). The legendary weapons of Night return and can be infused with “ancient magick,” though you’ll still receive Boons from over a dozen Olympian deities, including Zeus and Apollo.
You’ll encounter dozens of fully-voiced characters, from new faces to “old friends,” and get closer to them across various interactions. New story events unfold throughout multiple runs. Speaking of which, in addition to fresh locations, there are new challenges and upgrade systems like the Arcana Alatar. Tools of the Unseen must also be used to “gather reagents,” and you can even tame witch familiars.
For those who don’t want a punishing experience, God Mode returns, providing a way to play through the whole story without struggling. There will still be “escalating challenges for greater rewards,” though it’s not confirmed whether there will be a Pact of Punishment-style system. You can expect “even smoother” real-time 3D characters, new hand-painted levels, and “an electrifying original score,” though.
More details on early access are coming next year. Regarding the same, Supergiant Games said, “Getting player feedback through key phases of development was vital for the original Hades, so we plan to reprise that process once more, once this game is further along.” Stay tuned in the meantime for updates.