Hades II
Supergiant Games isometric roguelike (Early Access May 6, 2024 PC; console 2025-26; full 1.0 TBA 2026) — play Melinoë (Persephone/Hades's daughter) fighting Titan Chronos across dual surface + underworld paths. Sequel to 2020 Game of the Year Hades.
What is Hades II?
Hades II is an isometric action-roguelike developed + published by Supergiant Games (Melbourne, AUS / San Francisco, USA) — released in Early Access on May 6, 2024 for PC (Steam + Epic); full 1.0 release + console versions (PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch 2) targeted 2026. Sequel to 2020's Hades (winner of numerous 2020 Game of the Year awards including BAFTA + DICE + TGA Best Action + Best Indie). Player controls Melinoë, Princess of the Underworld — Persephone + Hades's daughter, sister of Zagreus (Hades 1 protagonist). Titan Chronos has escaped from Tartarus + trapped Olympus + underworld; Melinoë must ascend to surface world Athens/Ephyra + descend deeper into the underworld to defeat Chronos. Dual-path structure (surface + underworld) — first Supergiant game with two distinct roguelike map trees. Combat is isometric action with Boons (Olympian gifts), Hexes (moon magic), Arcana Cards (deck-building meta-progression), and dozens of weapons. Voice acting by Amelia Tyler (Melinoë) + Logan Cunningham (Chronos + returning voice cast). Yasunori Nishiki-adjacent orchestral score by Darren Korb. Early Access received rave reviews; frequent seasonal content updates through 2024-25. Considered leading indie of 2024.
Quick facts
Category
Video Games
Type
Individual
Players
1–1
Duration
~45 min
Where played
indoor
Country of origin
🇺🇸 United States
Estimated origin
Announced Dec 2022 TGA; Early Access May 6, 2024; console + full 1.0 targeted 2026
Olympic
No
Popularity
major
How it works
Objective
Ascend to surface world + descend to deeper underworld; defeat Titan Chronos + free Olympus / underworld. Full story spans dozens of successful + failed runs.
Match structure
Single-player roguelike; each run = attempt to complete surface OR underworld path; death returns to Crossroads hub for meta-progression + relationships.
Rules
Basic rules
Roguelike run + die + retry loop
Each run may end in success or death; permanent meta-progression via Arcana Cards + relationships + weapon aspects.
Two directional paths (Surface + Underworld)
Choose direction at Crossroads; Surface = up through Ephyra + Athens; Underworld = down through Tartarus + deeper realms.
Boons from Olympian gods
Zeus, Poseidon, Aphrodite, Apollo, Hera, Demeter, Hermes + more offer Boons enhancing weapons + magic.
Advanced rules
Arcana Cards meta-progression
Deck-building meta-system: unlock + spend Ash + Psyche on Arcana Cards granting permanent buffs; card synergies define runs.
Hexes (moon magic)
Melinoë's signature — charge Hex meter, unleash powerful Moon-based super attacks.
Relationships + character conversations
Rich dialogue with Underworld + Olympian NPCs; relationships evolve across runs.
Weapon aspects + Nocturnal Arms
Multiple weapons + aspects unlock through Nocturnal Arms system.
Scoring
Run completion + meta-progression via Ash/Psyche currencies + relationship gauges.
| Action | Points |
|---|---|
| Successful run | Story progression + max Ash/Psyche |
| Failed run | Partial Ash/Psyche + relationship progress |
Win condition · Complete both Surface + Underworld arcs + final Chronos battle across many runs.
Equipment
PC (Steam + Epic) — Early Access
PC-only Early Access; console versions 2025-26.
Standard controller or M+KB
Controller recommended; M+KB fully supported.
Positions & roles
Melinoë (Princess of the Underworld)
×1Sole playable character throughout game.
Officiating
Single-player only.
- Speedrun.com moderators
Penalties & fouls
Penalties
Death (run failure)
Return to Crossroads hub; lose most run-specific pickups; keep meta-progression currencies.
Strategies
Boon synergy chase
Chase specific God Boons that synergise (e.g., Zeus chain + Poseidon knockback = triple-god synergy).
Hex + Arcana Card combo builds
Match Hex ability to Arcana Card build for signature run identity.
Path selection strategy
Surface + Underworld paths have different biome + boss patterns — cycle both for narrative + variety.
Terminology
- Melinoë
- Princess protagonist — Persephone + Hades daughter
- Chronos
- Titan antagonist (escaped from Tartarus)
- Boon
- Olympian god's gift enhancing weapons/abilities
- Hex
- Melinoë's moon magic super attack
- Arcana Card
- Meta-progression deckbuilding card
- Crossroads
- Hub between runs (Surface + Underworld directions)
- Nocturnal Arms
- Weapon set (multiple types + aspects)
Major competitions
Speedrun.com Hades 2 leaderboards
ongoing · worldwide (community) · since 2024
Where it is played
Governing bodies
Supergiant Games
Founded 2009 · San Francisco, USA + Melbourne, Australia
Famous names & records
Famous athletes
- Amir Rao (Supergiant co-founder)
- Greg Kasavin (creative director)
- Darren Korb (composer)
- Amelia Tyler (Melinoë voice)
Records
Hades 1 Game of the Year 2020
Supergiant — Original Hades won 2020 Game of the Year at BAFTA + DICE + TGA Best Action + Best Indie (2020)
Hades 2 Early Access May 6, 2024
Supergiant — Hades 2 launched in Early Access May 6, 2024 — Supergiant's first-ever direct sequel (2024)
First Supergiant direct sequel
Supergiant — Supergiant's first direct sequel; previously all games were standalone (Bastion → Transistor → Pyre → Hades) (2024)
Learn this sport
beginner
- 1
First 10 runs learning combat + Boons
Learn combat basics + Boon system + Arcana Cards intro.
intermediate
- 1
Path completion + weapon aspect unlocks
Complete both Surface + Underworld path first-clears; unlock weapon aspects.
advanced
- 1
Heat / Difficulty scaling + speedrun
Push Heat / Difficulty modifiers + attempt speedrun leaderboards.
Frequently asked
Do I need to play Hades 1 to enjoy Hades 2?+
Not required — Hades 2 stands alone. However, Hades 1 provides valuable emotional + narrative context (Zagreus is Melinoë's brother, key characters recur). Both games are Game-of-the-Year-caliber recommendations.
When will Hades 2 leave Early Access?+
Full 1.0 release + console versions (PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch 2) targeted for 2026 per Supergiant. Early Access continues to receive frequent content updates through 2024-25.
Sources & provenance
- Wikipedia — Hades II— Wikipedia