Last Updated October 16, 2024: Here are answers to frequently asked questions about our fifth game, Hades II! This FAQ is a comprehensive source of official details we can share about the game. We plan to update it with new information through the course of development.

What is Hades II?

Hades II is a rogue-like dungeon crawler in which you'll battle beyond the Underworld of Greek myth using dark sorcery to take on the sinister Titan of Time. Our studio's first-ever sequel builds on the best aspects of the award-winning original in an all-new, action-packed, endlessly replayable experience rooted in the Underworld of Greek myth and its deep connections to the dawn of witchcraft. Read our announcement and watch our reveal trailer:

As the immortal Princess of the Underworld, you'll explore a bigger, deeper mythic world, vanquishing the forces of the Titan of Time with the full might of Olympus behind you, in a sweeping story that continually unfolds through your every setback and accomplishment. New locations, challenges, upgrade systems, and surprises await as you delve into the ever-shifting Underworld again and again. See the game in action here (note this contains some spoilers):

Where can I play Hades II?

Hades II is now available in Early Access for PC and Mac on: · Steam · Epic Games Store

Hades II is also Verified on Steam Deck, Valve's portable gaming computer.

We do not have a release date set for the completed Hades II v1.0, and are planning for Early Access development to continue during 2025. We expect for Hades II to eventually be available for console platforms, though cannot confirm which platforms yet.

How much does Hades II cost?

We are offering Hades II in Early Access for the retail price of $29.99 USD (with variance by region). Note that depending on the duration of Early Access and the scope of additional content we add to Hades II over time, we may raise the retail price at a later point.

If you purchase the game in Early Access, you'll automatically receive the complete v1.0 once it's available (you won't have to purchase the game again).

What can I expect from Hades II Early Access?

Early Access means you can purchase and play a work-in-progress version of Hades II, and optionally contribute feedback and gameplay data that's invaluable to our team as we work to fulfill the game's potential. Feedback from our player community through the course of development was foundational to the design and vital to the quality of the original game, so we are reprising that type of process with Hades II.

The game already has at least as much content in Early Access as the original did back when it launched in Early Access on Steam. And, even though Early Access inherently means a game is not yet complete, we have done our best to ensure Hades II will be worth your while as soon as you play it.

Similar to how we approached Early Access with the original, following our Hades II Early Access launch, we'll have several Major Updates adding the rest of the game's core content and refining what's there based on player feedback. The story will expand with each update, as we introduce more characters and add events with existing ones. This process will culminate in our v1.0 launch, which will feature the conclusion to the story and other finishing touches.

If you start playing Hades II Early Access, we are committed to making sure your save data works all through development, including once we launch v1.0.

Should I play in Early Access, or hold off?

For many players, it's a good idea to wait for the complete v1.0 before diving in, as we expect Hades II to grow and improve during Early Access, and the true ending of the story won't be available until then. But, if you like the idea of seeing the game evolve over time, and watching the story unfold more gradually, then Early Access is probably for you!

You may also want to hold out for v1.0 depending on which platform you'd like to play on, as Early Access is only on Steam and the Epic Games Store.

Where can I get tech support for Hades II?

We have a comprehensive Hades II Technical Support FAQ that's the best place to start if you're experiencing any issues with the game!

How does Hades II relate to the original game?

Hades II is a direct sequel, set in and around the Underworld of Greek myth after the events of the original game. Chronos, the Titan of Time and the wicked father of Hades and his brothers, has escaped his imprisonment in the depths of the Underworld to wage war on Olympus. Can Time itself be stopped?

You don't need to know anything about the original game or Greek myth to enjoy Hades II. But if you do know the ins and outs of the original or the classical mythology that inspired it, you'll find plenty of connections, as well as plenty of new challenges you'll have to learn to overcome. We want for players to experience a strong sense of discovery in Hades II, whether they played the original game or not.

Who is the protagonist of Hades II?

In Hades II, you play as Melinoë, the Princess of the Underworld, an immortal witch and sorceress with powerful magical abilities, deadly skill with a variety of shadowy weapons, and a score to settle.

Like her brother Zagreus from the original game, Melinoë is not a character of our own invention, and is based on an ancient Underworld deity thought to be related to Hades. What little ancient mythology exists about her was more than enough to make us want to explore her story and connection to her family, and in so doing, expand on our vision of the Underworld.

What's the connection between witchcraft and Greek myth?

Witchcraft is integral to numerous Greek myths, including some of the most famous, as well as many that inspired the original Hades and of course this sequel. Central to this ancient and oft-feared and misunderstood practice is Hecate, the secretive goddess of magic, witchcraft, and the crossroads. She plays a significant role in classical mythology surrounding Hades and the Underworld, and has been an influential and deeply compelling figure in witchcraft, myth, and folklore in a variety of cultures for thousands of years... so much so that we felt we needed a whole new game to try and do her justice.

As with the original game, our aim is to be faithful to the spirit of the classical sources that inspired us, from Homer to Hesiod. This extends to our portrayal of witchcraft in this game, given its strong ties to many of the myths and characters at the heart of both Hades and Hades II. Mythological tales of ancient gods and heroes live on by being told and retold, adapted, and filtered through new points of view across time; we're excited to share ours once again.

Is the game's soundtrack available?

Absolutely! Music has always been essential to the experience of each of our games, and Hades II is no exception, with an original soundtrack by our award-winning composer Darren Korb crafted to fit the bewitching theme and variety of all-new characters and environments.

Like the game itself, the soundtrack is not yet complete, and we expect to keep adding to it through the course of Early Access development. Look for it wherever the game is sold, or stream it free on our YouTube channel or Spotify!

Who is developing Hades II?

We are! We're Supergiant Games, a small independent game studio based in San Francisco, CA. Since 2009, we have strived to make games that spark your imagination like the games you played as a kid. We now have close to 25 people on our team (a few more than on the original Hades), including all seven of the original members of the team that created our first game, Bastion, and worked together on all our games ever since. We work on one main new game project at a time, and Hades II is that project for the foreseeable future.

You've never made a sequel before! Why now?

The original Hades is our most beloved game, and one that we loved building together as a team. Especially since it drew so much inspiration from classical Greek mythology, we always imagined the possibility of new stories in its world. But that in and of itself wasn't enough for us.

With each of our projects over the years, we've aimed to take on a new challenge that stretched our team's creativity and taught us more about how to make games well together. One such challenge we've long considered was to try and make a sequel that could somehow re-capture the sense of wonder and delight of its predecessor. Some of our all-time favorite games achieved this! The question is, can we? Hades II, with its new perspective on a shadowy and alluring aspect of Greek myth, is our opportunity to find out. We get to keep building on foundational ideas that have captivated us since Supergiant's early days, while expanding the world of Hades in ways we find very exciting, and hope you will, too.

What languages does the game support?

Hades II contains English text and voiceover, and includes full text translations in the following languages: German, Greek, Spanish, French, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Brazilian Portuguese, Russian, Turkish, Ukrainian, Simplified Chinese, and Traditional Chinese.

How long has Hades II been in development?

We started working on Hades II in earnest at the start of 2021.

What tech are you using to develop the game?

We've been using our own tech and tools ever since Bastion, our first game. With each project, we've made significant investments and improvements to ensure our tools are as efficient as possible for our team, and that our game runs as smoothly as possible for as many players as possible.

Is Hades II a multiplayer game, or are there any plans for multiplayer?

Like its predecessor, Hades II is a single-player game. We have no plans for multiplayer, as we are creating the gameplay and narrative of Hades II with a solo experience in mind.

Who created your animated reveal trailer?

We collaborated with Studio Grackle on our animated reveal trailer for Hades II. We first teamed up with them for our Hades v1.0 Launch Trailer, and had such a good experience that we knew we wanted to work with them again to introduce Hades II to the world. The credits for the trailer, including voice talent for characters featured in it, are in the full description on YouTube.

Will you work with Noclip on a video documentary about Hades II?

We loved working with Noclip on their Developing Hell video documentary series about the making of the original Hades, filmed throughout the course of its development. We've kept in touch with Noclip about our plans, though presently aren't doing something like last time. We appreciate your interest!

What if I have more questions?

We expect to keep updating this FAQ from time to time as development continues. Or if you'd like to discuss Hades II, one good place is our official Discord server, where you can chat with other players and get the latest news from our team. Thank you for your interest!

We have not one but two new collectible figurines in the works from the relentlessly excellent Good Smile Company! First up is POP UP PARADE Zagreus, a to-scale rendition of the Prince of the Underworld himself. Not known for his stature, this Zagreus stands about 180mm high and features a detailed Stygius blade in hand. (pre-order)

Next, joining Nendoroid Zagreus and Thanatos is none other than Nendoroid Megaera, the First of the Furies, rounding out this lovable trio of Good Smile Company's line of super-cute Nendoroid collectibles! (pre-order)

The diminutive Fury Sister of course brandishes her vicious whip, an alternate face for when she's off duty and perhaps enjoying a Nectar or two, and her unique keepsakes, the Skull Earring and Companion Batty.

We're really excited that POP UP PARADE Zagreus and Nendoroid Megaera will be joining the others, and have had a great time collaborating with Good Smile and seeing them bring our characters to life. We hope you enjoy them all if you get a chance to pick them up!

Update: Applications for this position are now closed. Thank you to all those who applied!

Our San Francisco-based team is seeking a UI Illustrator to create menu screen concepts, in-game HUD elements, and icons for our upcoming game, Hades II. This is a part-time, remote position on an as-needed basis for a limited scope of work. Here's the Keepsakes screen from the original game, as an example of this type of work!

Job Responsibilities:

• Create hundreds of icons in a stylistically consistent way

• Concept and illustrate screen elements, including buttons and backgrounds

• Create UI and HUD mock-ups based on gameplay requirements

• Prepare and organize layered files such that they are motion-graphics ready

• Take feedback from our UI & VFX Artist and Art Director to meet artistic requirements

• Deliver on artistic / creative goals while adhering to production, gameplay, and performance requirements

About the Candidate:

• Experience working on UI illustration on shipped titles or completed personal projects

• Organized, responsible, and able to work autonomously

• Excellent written and verbal communication

• Experience with Photoshop, fonts, and video game accessibility standards

• Familiarity with Supergiant's titles, especially Hades; general interest in video games

Compensation: We are open to a range of experience for this position, and will offer commensurate compensation. For those earlier in their careers at the Associate level (~1-3 years experience), we offer $40/hr.; while for those at Senior Advanced (~12+ years experience) level, we offer $80/hr., with the range applying to experience levels in between. Our expectation is that more-experienced candidates would be able to deliver high quality first-pass work more often, requiring fewer revisions, and that such candidates may be more involved in the technical integration of their work as well.

Update: Applications for this position are now closed. Thank you to all those who applied!

Our small San Francisco-based team is seeking experienced translators to work closely with us to localize Hades II in a variety of languages. In this position, you will be responsible for translating the game's text content in one of our supported languages* throughout the course of development, as well as collecting and addressing relevant feedback during our Early Access phase.

You will be working in a mature pipeline for translation, using a web-based tool called CrowdIn to input and iterate on your translations. As part of this, you will be using Slack to regularly interact with our translators focused on other languages, as well as members of our development team including writers, producers, and engineers. During Early Access, text for translation will come in batches, and availability around each major update launch will be important to ensure a strong launch and quick resolution of any issues. This is a remote, contract position for the duration of Hades II development; the original Hades game contained more than 300,000 words, so this is a big project.

Job Responsibilities:

• Translate the text content of Hades II into one of our supported languages*; evaluate and implement-as-needed feedback from the team and community.

• Liaise with other translators and development staff to create and maintain shared solutions, standards, and practices for high-quality translation.

• Maintain high awareness of the current state of the game, prioritizing key additions or changes, and regularly evaluating your work in context.

• Deliver high-quality translations at a reliable cadence and based on foreknowledge of any specific deadlines and delivery requirements.

• Work within any other constraints as needed, such as word counts or character counts.

About the Candidate:

• Conversational, colloquial fluency in English and one of our supported languages*; preference for those living where your language is used daily.

• 2+ years experience and 1+ shipped games as a translator in your language.

• Grasp for translating the spirit of the original English to your language, maintaining consistency of voice through many different characters.

• Experience playing Hades and Greek myth translations in your language.

• Experience using collaborative tools on an international translation team.

• Experience reading game data using text editing software (e.g. SublimeText).

• Organized, deadline-oriented, clear in communication, keen eye for detail.

Compensation: We offer $0.25 per word translated (inclusive of any revisions/iterations), completion bonuses for each major update, and a collaborative environment where you’ll have many opportunities to work directly with an award-winning development team and fellow translators.

Crediting: In any shipping version of the game, you would be credited using the name you specify, under Translation or Additional Translation for your language based on your level of contribution to the project.

* Supported Languages: We are currently seeking translators for these languages: French (FR), Italian (IT), German (DE), Spanish (ES), Polish (PL), Russian (RU), Turkish (TR), Simplified Chinese (ZH-CN), Traditional Chinese (ZH-TW), Korean (KO), Brazilian Portuguese (PT-BR), Ukrainian (UA), Greek (EL)

Note that while this may not necessarily be the complete list of languages for the full game, we are not seeking translators for other languages at this time.

Update: Applications for this position are now closed. Thank you to all those who applied!

We are seeking an experienced Gameplay Engineer to implement, improve, and maintain gameplay features and systems in our next title, Hades II. Our ideal candidate has a deep knowledge of video games including ours, and expert understanding of multiple code design patterns and how to apply them to game features, based on having implemented gameplay systems on a number of shipped titles. The candidate has a strong ability to read and understand feature specs from the design team, while making reasonable assumptions in cases where not all details are provided, and having good instincts to ask for clarification when necessary.

This is a full-time position that can either be remote or based in our San Francisco studio. At least four of the candidate's daily core work hours must overlap with 9am to 6pm in the Pacific time zone.

Job Responsibilites

• Work closely with our content team, including our designers and artists, to implement new systems and features

• Iterate on and add content to existing systems

• Reinforce a high standard for cleanly implementing systems and content using our engine, tools, and scripting language

• Work closely with our QA team to track down and fix bugs found in game systems and content

• Work closely with the rest of our engineering team to identify and test new tools and engine capabilities

About the Candidate

• 2- or 4-year college degree or equivalent work experience

• Credit on at least one shipped commercial, student, or personal game project from start to finish

• Fluent in C++, C#, or similar game programming language

• Fluent in Lua or similar game scripting language

• Fluent in XML, JSON, or similar data file format

• Worked with at least one major game engine such as Unreal, Unity, GameMaker, or any large proprietary engine

• Strong interpersonal and written communication skills, and comfortable working in a small, collaborative team environment

• Organized, responsible, and able to work autonomously

• Extensive knowledge of and experience playing games, new and old, low and big budget, across a variety of genres

• Experienced playing Hades and familiar with our other titles

Compensation

We are open to a range of experience for this position and will offer commensurate compensation. For those earlier in their careers at the Associate level (~2 years directly relevant experience), we offer a base salary of $100,000; while for those at Senior level (~7 years directly relevant experience), we offer a base salary of $160,000, with the range applying to experience levels in between. The candidate will also be eligible for an annual discretionary bonus. Our expectation is that more experienced candidates would be able to operate more efficiently and independently, have extensive knowledge of design patterns, and experience implementing and maintaining a wide variety of game features. We also offer benefits such as 401(k) and health insurance though some aspects may vary based on standards in the candidate's location.

Update Oct 13, 2022: The Hades Merchandise Collection is now available! Items based on our past titles are also now available!

We're thrilled to announce that we've joined forces with Fangamer to bring you a new line of official Hades merchandise, ranging from plushies to pins, and from artwork to apparel!

Like all the merchandise we've offered in the past, these items were designed in close collaboration with our team. And, Fangamer has years of experience delivering great game-inspired merchandise to customers around the world, so these items will be easier to get a hold of than items we've offered in the past. This partnership means we'll no longer be fulfilling merchandise directly, and we have Q&As about what that means later in this post. But first, let's look at just some of the new items available right now!

Cerberus Plush

This notorious hound of hell is somewhat smaller than the real thing, measuring about 12" long from heads to tail. For maximum softness, the monstrous creature is filled with polyester cloud stuffing and covered in baby minky material. Designed by Nina Matsumoto and prototyped by Eyes5. (get it here)

Underworld Triptych Print Set

Bask in the dark beauty of the Underworld of Hades in this stunning set of three original full-color art prints by the game's environment artist Joanne Tran and art director Jen Zee. Each piece in this run of 1000 measures 18" by 24" and is printed using the highest quality inks and materials. Perfect for framing, and designed to be displayed together. (get it here)

Dusa Talking Plush

This plush of everyone's favorite House of Hades custodian / floating gorgon head is about 10" tall, wields a felt feather duster, and features a squeeze-activated voice box that emits one of dozens of generally anxious voice lines. Powered by three replaceable AAA batteries, included. (get it here)

First of the Furies Long-sleeve Shirt

Now you can always go the painful way in this long-sleeved shirt by Nina Matsumoto. The original design is printed on the chest and both sleeves by Forward, on the 100% cotton PC61LS from Port & Company. (get it here)

...And More!

Browse the full catalog for enamel pins, the original soundtrack CD, T-shirts, and more -- and stay tuned, because we expect to have new items available down the line!

Supergiant Store Q&A

While we have lots of exciting new merchandise now available, we are discontinuing service from our home-grown online merchandise shop at store.supergiantgames.com. Here are answers to questions you may have:

Q: Why have you closed your online shop at store.supergiantgames.com? A: We've always wanted to create great merchandise for our games, and since 2011, we've shipped that merchandise directly from our San Francisco HQ to customers around the world. However, the success of Hades plus many logistical challenges introduced by the COVID-19 pandemic meant we have struggled to meet the demand from our customers. As a small independent game studio, it's never been our ambition to grow to become a major online retailer -- but we still really want to offer official merchandise, ideally even more than before! We love designing physical items based on our games, and it's always been a refreshing creative challenge. Knowing there are teams that are better equipped to produce and distribute merchandise, we wanted to find great partners to work with who can help us play to our strengths. So, moving forward, our official merchandise will be available directly through reputable, trusted partners including Fangamer, Good Smile Company, and iam8bit. Note we plan to continue to use the store.supergiantgames.com domain to point to merchandise offerings from our partners.

Q: When and where will Hades merchandise be available? A: On July 26, 2022, Fangamer launched our official Hades merchandise collection, featuring a variety of all-new items as well as items we've offered in the past. Other official merchandise is in development from Good Smile Company, including Nendoroid Zagreus, Thanatos, and Megaera. We've been fans of these teams for years, and very excited to be working with them.

Q: When will merchandise from your past titles be available again? A: We've worked with Fangamer to bring over select items of our past merchandise based on Bastion, Transistor, and Pyre, which are available now in the Supergiant Games Collection!

Q: How can I find out about any new Supergiant merchandise? A: Sign up for our email newsletter, follow us on Twitter, or join our Discord community to stay informed about any new merchandise or other announcements from us. You may also visit store.supergiantgames.com, where we plan to point to merchandise offerings from our partners offering official merchandise.

Q: Does Fangamer ship to customers around the world? A: Yes indeed! Not only does Fangamer ship worldwide from North America, some of the merchandise will also be available to order from their European and Japanese locations.

Q: Will you be reissuing vinyl records for Hades or other soundtracks? A: We are working on this! We will announce any reissues via our Twitter and our newsletter -- please sign up for our newsletter if you'd like to be notified about new merchandise.

To all our online store customers, thank you for all your patience and support over the years, and it's been our pleasure. We're really looking forward to this next chapter, as it will mean we can deliver more kinds of merchandise based on our games, and faster than before.

Hot on the heels of Nendoroid Zagreus, here comes Thanatos, a.k.a. Death himself, next in line to join Good Smile Company's line of super-cute Nendoroid collectibles! You can pre-order him now from Good Smile's official web site.

The pint-sized Death Incarnate includes his signature scythe weapon, an alternate face since he is sometimes known to smile, as well his trusty keepsakes, the Pierced Butterfly and Companion Mort.

We're very excited to get our hands on this figure, as we've long wanted to collaborate with Good Smile and see how they can bring our characters to life. And there's more where this came from, as Good Smile has announced Nendoroid Megaera is in the works, as well as shown the latest progress on the more lifelike POP UP PARADE Zagreus figurine! We hope you enjoy them all if you get a chance to pick them up.

Update: Applications for this position are now closed. Thank you to all those who applied!

Our San Francisco-based team is seeking a Platforms Quality Assurance Specialist to ensure our games ship at a high quality standard in accordance with the certification guidelines of each of the platforms on which they appear. As part of our QA team, this is a hands-on Quality Assurance role that also includes some responsibilities of a release coordinator, including maintaining communication with our development team, platform partners, external developers, and ratings agencies. This is a full-time, on-site position at our San Francisco studio, with relocation services provided, and open to any candidate authorized to work in the United States. The ideal candidate has experience performing QA on a number of shipped titles, and facilitating certification and submission-related partner communications. They should love playing a variety of games in-depth on a broad set of platforms with an eye towards what makes a game work well in each unique format. They should be detail-oriented, and communicate clearly and succinctly in writing and speech.

Job Responsibilities:

• Perform in-depth QA on our previous and in-progress titles on all platforms to ensure adherence with performance, quality, and compliance standards

• Provide clear, concise written bug reports, and communicate with developers and external teams about technical issues or requirements

• Schedule, prepare, and submit platform-specific submission documents

• Perform video capture and deliver submission materials for ratings agencies

• Provide platform-specific customer support for customers when necessary

• Analyze platform-specific community bug reports, including Discord and Reddit discussions, to track and reproduce any issues in our games

• Assist with day-to-day functional QA during times as needed

• Provide feedback to the design team on new, in-progress features

About the Candidate:

• Experience performing general QA, certification testing, and release coordination support for one or more shipped titles

• Experience communicating with platform partners, and using proprietary submission portals for each platform

• Able to work on-site in our San Francisco studio with a mostly-remote team

• Organized, responsible, and able to work autonomously

• Familiarity playing Hades and our other titles on multiple platforms

Compensation: We are open to a range of experience for this position as long as the candidate has performed general QA and certification support on at least one shipped title, and will offer commensurate compensation. For those earlier in their careers at the Associate level (~3 years directly relevant experience), we offer $30/hr; while for those at Senior Advanced level (~8+ years directly relevant experience), we offer $50/hr, with the range applying to experience levels in between. Our expectation is that more-experienced candidates would operate more independently, with extensive experience across a variety of platforms and devices, having ushered multiple titles through submission. 401(k) and choice of PPO or HMO health insurance plan also included.

We recently got our hands on the Steam Deck, Valve's new handheld gaming PC, and worked to ensure playing Hades on it felt as smooth and seamless as possible. Here's a brief video of our audio director Darren Korb giving the game and system a try:

Hades has been certified as Deck Verified, so you can expect it to work great on the platform. Note that, when starting the game on Steam Deck, we recommend using the Vulkan rendering option for optimal performance.

As for our past titles, Transistor is also Verified, while Bastion currently is certified 'Playable', which is one step short of 'Verified' status and means it may require some settings adjustments to work optimally on the platform. Pyre has not yet been reviewed by Valve.

We've been excited to experience Hades and our past games in this new format! If you get a chance to pick up a Steam Deck, we hope you enjoy playing our games on it.

Update: The preorder period for Nendoroid Zagreus has concluded. Thank you for your interest!

We're so excited that Zagreus is joining Good Smile Company's legendary line of Nendoroid super-cute collectibles! You can pre-order him from Good Smile's official web site.

The rebellious Prince of the Underworld comes with accessories such as a Bloodstone and Nectar bottle, plus the trusty Shield of Chaos (for when the Stygian Blade doesn't cut it).

Collaborating with Good Smile on this figure has been a fantastic experience, and we were thrilled to see the amazing response to the Twitter reveal this week! Several of us at Supergiant own no small number of Nendoroid figures based on some of our favorite characters from games and anime, so seeing Zagreus join this fray is like a dream come true. Besides, statues of famous Greek gods and heroes have been around for thousands of years... seems only fair that Zagreus should also exist in statue form!