When Supergiant Games announced its first ever sequel in 2022, Hades II, it revealed that the highly-anticipated rogue-like would follow in the footsteps of the original god-slaying behemoth by following an early access launch plan.
Now, following a short but effective Technical Test last month, Hades II has surprise launched in early access today for PC players. Watch the new showcase trailer above.
Going against the Titan of Time itself, Hades II has players taking the role of Melinoe, sister of the original game"s protagonist Zagreus, and the Princess of the Underworld. Sporting witchcraft in addition to the familiar powers of the Greek gods, Melinoe will be venturing deep into the Underworld filled with "new locations, challenges, upgrade systems, and surprises."
As for why the sequel is also starting its journey in early access instead of having a full release, Supergiant said:
This Early Access launch is an extraordinarily exciting moment for our team as we begin the process that we expect will help us realize this game"s potential. As with the original, we designed Hades II for Early Access from the ground up, and look forward to hearing your feedback about all that we"ve built so far, and integrating that feedback into our plans for the rest of production! This is a game with many interconnected parts, and your feedback helps us ensure everything from the balance to the narrative are working as well as possible.
The studio has said that the time Hades II will stay in early access has not been decided just yet, with launch timings depending on player feedback and how content update development goes. "The story will expand with each update, as we introduce more characters and add events with existing ones," adds Supergiant. "This process will culminate in our v1.0 launch, which will feature the conclusion to the story and other finishing touches."
Steam Deck verification has landed just in time for the early access launch too. As for platforms other than PC, the studio expects the game to reach consoles "eventually".
Hades II costs $29.99 USD to purchase during its early access phase across Steam and the Epic Games Store. However, this price may increase in the future as Supergiant Games adds more content to the experience over time. The early access release"s current soundtrack (with more songs on the way) is also available to purchase as a $9.99 DLC from both stores as well.