Hades 2 - What We Know So Far

There were many things at The Game Awards that nobody expected, like its tribute to Batman voice actor Kevin Conroy, or the person who took the mic after Hidetaka Miyazaki accepted the GOTY award. An announcement that came out of nowhere towards the beginning of The Game Awards was "Hades 2," the sequel to the lauded 2020 roguelike "Hades" that turned Supergiant Games into a household name. 

It's the sequel that nobody knew was coming, and one that nobody knew they wanted so badly until the teaser premiered. It didn't reveal too much, but what can be gleaned from the trailer and other descriptions seems very promising. It looks to build upon the beloved aspects of the first, incorporating unique new aspects without ridding itself of the combat style and narrative design that made it so popular. 

Read on to find out what fans learned about the release date for "Hades 2," what the sequel's gameplay will be like, and everything else the first trailer at The Game Awards 2022 revealed.

The teaser for "Hades 2" that fans saw at The Game Awards revealed a lot more than first meets the eye about the upcoming sequel. Unfortunately, though, it didn't share an official release date. The teaser revealed that "Hades 2" will go through a similar development and release cycle as the original game before it reaches an "official" launch date. After the teaser ended, the trailer showed that "Hades 2" will enter Early Access in 2023. However, we don't know exactly when the Early Access begins, either.

The original "Hades" officially launched back in 2020, though it was in Early Access development for nearly two years before its final version was released. "Hades 2" will enter Early Access next year at an as-of-yet-unannounced date, but it's unlikely to take two years as the ground has already been trodden, so to speak. 

Depending on how late into 2023 "Hades 2" Early Access goes live, and assuming it goes as well as the first game's Early Access, fans can likely expect to see the full game come out in 2024 or, at the latest, early 2025. For now, all we officially know is to expect more details about "Hades" sequel in 2023.

The trailer for "Hades 2" was revealed for the first time at The Game Awards 2022, but it wasn't obviously a follow up to "Hades" at first. The Supergiant Games logo flashes at the beginning of the teaser, then it cuts into an impressively animated battle sequence between two new characters. 

Keen-eyed fans may have noticed that the likely player character wears a laurel like Zagreus — but it's not until after the battle, and after the so-called Princess of the Underworld (per the video description) reveals her face, that we hear the familiar sting of the "Hades" theme song. The Princess' combatant and apparent mentor, who is yet unnamed, then turns towards the camera and alludes to Chronos, the Greek Titan who will probably be the game's final boss.

The trailer wraps up with some quick, blink-and-you'll-miss-it looks at new areas, combat changes, gods, characters, powers, and other new features. Towards the end, we get a look at what our goal in "Hades 2" might be: the image of Hades in chains could mean players are charged with freeing the God of the dead. Fans don't know how long after the end of "Hades" the sequel picks up, but it seems to have been long enough for things to have changed a lot.

From everything revealed at The Game Awards, the sequel to "Hades" will depart from the original in a number of ways but will stay true to the series' self-described god-like roguelike gameplay. In-depth dialogue, romances, and combat variety are all still at the heart of "Hades 2," but it looks like there will be plenty of new features to make it feel different. 

For one, characters throughout the teaser refer to the player character as "a witch," and the teaser's description even calls "Hades 2" a "bewitching" sequel. From this, it's implied that magic and witchy powers will be a part of the new combat and abilities in "Hades 2," though to what extent is still a mystery.

In the teaser, gamers also get a first look at some of the new names players are sure to become familiar with in their journey through "Hades 2." All of the gods — and other cosmic aiding powers — featured in the teaser are new and originate from Greek mythology. Among them are Apollo, the god of the Sun, Nemesis, the goddess of Revenge, and Dora, a likely reference to Pandora and her infamous box.

Ultimately, from what can be seen in the game's only teaser so far, fans of "Hades" can expect similar gameplay and mechanics in "Hades 2" — but don't expect it to mirror it exactly.