Hades II is a 2025 action role-playing game with roguelike elements, developed and published by Supergiant Games. It is a sequel to Hades (2020), making it the studio's first follow-up game. The game was announced in December 2022 and first available in early access for Windows in May 2024 and for macOS in October 2024. The full version of the game was released in September 2025 for Windows, macOS, Nintendo Switch, and Nintendo Switch 2. It later became available on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S in April 2026. The story follows Melinoë, the Princess of the Underworld and sister to Zagreus, the main character of the first game. Melinoë seeks to defeat Chronos, the Titan of Time, with help from other Olympian Gods. Hades II was praised for its gameplay, art style, music, and voice acting, but the ending received some criticism when it first came out.
Gameplay
Hades II is a type of game called a roguelike dungeon crawler, similar to the first game. The player controls Melinoë, the Princess of the Underworld and sister to Zagreus, the main character from the first game. With the help of her mentor, Hecate, Melinoë tries to defeat Chronos, a powerful titan who seeks revenge against gods and mortals who opposed him in the past and took her family hostage. During her journey, she receives help from the Olympians, who give her special powers called Boons as she fights her way through the Underworld and toward Mount Olympus. She is also aided by mythological figures such as Arachne, Narcissus, Echo, Medea, Circe, and Icarus.
In the first game, players had one path from Tartarus to the surface through four biomes. In Hades II, there are two separate paths: one through the Underworld, which includes Erebus, Oceanus, the Fields of Mourning, and Tartarus, and another on the surface, which includes the City of Ephyra, the Rift of Thessaly, Mount Olympus, and the Summit. Each region is unlocked after completing the previous one.
Like the first game, players use a primary attack and a secondary "special" attack based on their chosen weapon, along with a dash for movement. A new magic ability allows players to freeze enemies in place. A new combat feature called the "Magick Bar" provides energy for special moves, which refills by attacking enemies. Throughout each game session, players receive Boons from the Olympians, offering three persistent power choices. Players may also select one of three Hexes, which summon attacks powered by the goddess Selene, and improve them through a skill tree each session.
Players move through rooms to explore the Underworld or fight on the surface. After clearing a room, they receive rewards that help them grow stronger or recover health. To advance to the next region, players must defeat the region’s boss after clearing a certain number of rooms. These bosses include Hecate in Erebus, Scylla and two sirens in Oceanus, Cerberus in the Fields of Mourning, Chronos in Tartarus, Polyphemus in Ephyra, Eris in the Rift of Thessaly, Prometheus on Mount Olympus, and Typhon at the Summit.
If Melinoë loses all her health points and has no "death defiances" left, she is defeated and returns to the Crossroads, the game’s overworld. Here, players can use items from previous runs to improve future attempts, such as unlocking and upgrading abilities, crafting incantations that add new features, or obtaining and upgrading weapons. Melinoë can also interact with characters at the Crossroads to strengthen her relationships with them. As the story progresses, players can also form romantic relationships with non-player characters (NPCs).
A feature from the first game, "God Mode," returns, allowing players to gain more power after each run.
Plot
Chronos, the Titan of Time, returns after being defeated by his children long ago. He takes control of the Underworld and imprisons Hades, Persephone, and Zagreus. Hecate escapes with Melinoë, Zagreus' newborn baby sister, to the Crossroads in Erebus. Hecate raises Melinoë and trains her to one day defeat Chronos. After completing her training, Melinoë goes to Tartarus. With help from the gods on Mount Olympus, she eventually defeats Chronos. However, Chronos uses his power over time to return to life, even though Melinoë kills him repeatedly.
While searching for a way to defeat Chronos forever, Melinoë learns that Mount Olympus is under attack by Chronos' army, led by Prometheus, a Titan seeking revenge for being imprisoned by the Olympians, and Typhon, known as the Father of All Monsters. Melinoë helps the gods fight them, but the enemies keep returning. She and Hecate find a way to defeat Typhon permanently and use its power to destroy Chronos for good, with help from a past version of Zagreus. Melinoë communicates with this version of Zagreus through Nyx's Mirror.
After defeating Typhon, Melinoë creates a spell to kill Chronos. To do this, she must kill him in the present while Zagreus does so in the past using Hades' spear. Melinoë defeats Chronos as planned. Instead of killing him in the past, Zagreus convinces Chronos to change his ways when he sees an alternate timeline where he lives happily with Melinoë and her family. The changed Chronos frees Hades and the others, and they restore the Underworld. Melinoë decides to return with Hecate to the Crossroads to fix the damage Chronos caused.
After the ending, Chronos helps Melinoë confront different versions of himself and Typhon from other timelines to prevent them from rising again. In the epilogue, Melinoë is visited by the Fates, who tell her they will no longer influence events, allowing the gods to rule themselves in a "golden age" where mortals choose their own destinies.
After meeting the Fates, Melinoë talks with Hecate and learns that Hecate is actually a version of herself from another timeline who successfully killed Chronos. She entered his mind to destroy him forever but was sent back to the beginning of time. Hecate joined the House of Hades to ensure she could train the younger version of herself to properly defeat Chronos.
Development
Hades, which was first available in early access in 2018 and fully released in 2020, became Supergiant Games' most successful game up to that time. However, lead writer Greg Kasavin said the team was not sure if a sequel would be made. As is typical for Supergiant, after finishing a game, the team decides which new project excites them the most. Many team members felt there were still stories and mythological characters from Greek mythology that were not included in Hades, which led them to choose a sequel. Since this would be the studio's first sequel, they wanted to expand on Hades in meaningful ways without losing the original game's core ideas. Studio head Amir Rao mentioned examples like Portal 2 and Diablo II as successful sequels they aimed to follow. Work on the sequel began near the start of 2021.
Kasavin said the team decided early on not to return to Zagreus as the main character. He researched Greek mythology and found the Orphic Hymns, which described Melinoë as the daughter of Hades and Persephone but provided little else about her. Melinoë was not mentioned in Hades, allowing the team to create a new story. She was also connected to the occult side of Greek mythology, which let them introduce magic as a gameplay feature and include Hecate, Melinoë's mentor.
Jen Zee continued as the art director for Hades II, following her work on the first game. The voice cast includes Asa Butterfield as Icarus and Amelia Tyler as Hecate. Logan Cunningham, who has appeared in many Supergiant games, returned to voice Hades, Chronos, and other mythological figures.
Hades II was announced during The Game Awards 2022 on December 8, 2022. A technical test started in April 2024, and the game entered early access on May 5, 2024. Like the first game, Hades II features music by Darren Korb. The soundtrack was released on Supergiant's YouTube channel and Steam page on the same day as the early access launch.
In May 2024, people found that Hades II's source code was left in the game files, making it easier for players to create modifications. This change is believed to be intentional, though Supergiant Games has not officially commented on it.
On October 16, 2024, a major update called The Olympic Update was released. It added a new region, weapons, and characters. The game also became available on macOS with this update. On February 19, 2025, the second major update, The Warsong Update, was released. During the April 2025 Nintendo Direct presentation, Supergiant Games announced that the full release of Hades II would be a timed console exclusive for Nintendo Switch and the new Nintendo Switch 2, alongside the Windows version. On June 17, 2025, the final major update for PC early access, The Unseen Update, was released.
The full game was released for Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, and Windows on September 25, 2025. The physical version was released on November 20, 2025. Some video game news outlets reported that the game will be released on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, but in April 2025, Supergiant said their current focus was only on the PC, Nintendo Switch 2, and Nintendo Switch versions, and they did not confirm a release for those consoles.
Ports of Hades II for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S were announced by Supergiant Games on March 26, 2026, during the Xbox Partner Preview presentation. These versions are scheduled to release on April 14, 2026. The Xbox version will support cross-progression with the Windows version through the Microsoft Store and will be available on Xbox Game Pass for the mentioned platforms. Alongside the PlayStation and Xbox versions, a general update will be released for all platforms, including new content and quality-of-life improvements.
Reception
When comparing technical test feedback to the first game, Elijah Gonzalez of Paste noted that Hades II continues to show "convincing characterization, witty dialogue, and excellent performances." He praised the gameplay upgrades but emphasized how the game builds on its world and characters. Gonzalez described Melinoë as having more initial "clarity of purpose" than Zagreus but also facing "self-doubt and the pressures of being a savior," making her a complex and engaging protagonist.
During the technical test, Kotaku highlighted the game's character designs, stating that "sexiness is woven into their personalities." Ana Diaz of Polygon explained that Hades II expands on traditional gender roles in Greek mythology by featuring witches who are "clever and strong" and challenge stereotypes. Diaz noted that Melinoë, though not a witch, was raised by one, which influences her strength and fighting style. Patricia Hernandez of The Guardian compared the Hades series to modern translations of Greek myths, saying the game "expands those myths" in a way similar to Emily Wilson's work on the Iliad and Odyssey. She added that the game's "interpersonal drama" makes Hades II "irresistible."
In early access, Hernandez wrote that the game is "evidently" worth many hours of play, with fast-paced combat and an expanded cast of characters. Mitchell Saltzman of IGN gave the early access version a 9/10, calling it "impossibly huge and polished" despite being incomplete. He praised the new combat features and the amount of content. Tyler Colp of PC Gamer recommended the early access game, noting that it feels like a "polished demo" with fully voiced characters and balanced combat, though some art is still unfinished. Ana Diaz of Polygon warned that players deeply invested in the story might prefer to wait, as many story elements are not yet complete.
Because of Hades II's early access release, Evil Empire delayed the release of The Rogue Prince of Persia from May 14 to later in the month to avoid competition.
Hades II received "universal acclaim" from critics, according to Metacritic. OpenCritic reported that 98% of critics recommended the game. In Japan, four critics from Famitsu gave it a total score of 35 out of 40.
Critics praised Hades II for its gameplay, artwork, voice acting, and soundtrack. IGN described the gameplay as "snappy and delightful," while GameSpot called it "the best-looking game the studio has delivered yet." Dualshockers praised the voice acting as "incredible," and Eurogamer highlighted the music's role in enhancing the experience.
Some critics felt the game's true ending was unsatisfying. Polygon criticized the ending for not resolving story conflicts fully, and Rock Paper Shotgun noted that the ending did not include killing Chronos as advertised. Many players online expressed frustration that Zagreus's story took precedence over Melinoë's. Endless Mode explained the ending as a possible "meta-fictional" commentary on gaming.
A month after release, Supergiant Games added extra scenes to the ending and introduced a feature to revert the game to its pre-conclusion state.