70 hours later and with a full launch imminent, I already miss Hades 2 being in Early Access

The best thing about playing Hades 2 in Early Access is the impermanence of it all. Last update's overpowered boon is this update's stinker, the weapon I loathed most is now my go-to for a wildly high DPS build, and I will ever mourn the loss of Hephaestus' original, utterly broken Smithy Sprint. I might not always be thrilled about certain changes, but one thing's for sure: Hades 2 has kept me guessing for over a year now.

Alas, with the Unseen Update being the third and final Early Access content drop, that's all about to change. The upcoming v1.0 – aka, full game – launch seems to be next on the cards for the Supergiant team, heralding a new beginning and a bittersweet farewell for anyone like me who's grown to love the unpredictability.

Violent delights

Catch me in the Mourning Fields, because I think I'm experiencing the five stages of grief over Hades 2. Sure, I'm psyched for my PC-less, Switch 2-owning friends getting one of the hottest new games of 2025, but I cannot lie: I feel slightly possessive over it.

It's similar in a way to being complimented so much on wearing a certain item of clothing that you don't want to tell others where you bought it. Yes, I am feeling a bit gatekeeper-y over a very popular video game and I know I need to get over myself.

But can you blame me? There's a unique camaraderie that comes with seeing a game through multiple iterations in Early Access that you just don't get from a full release. Even when the meta gets a nasty shakeup thanks to a newly-nerfed boon, weapon, or arcana card, it just gives players further incentive to try something new.

Of course, trying something new is part of what makes a roguelike what it is, and with Hades 2 fast on its way to a top spot on our list of the best roguelikes out there, learning to take the randomness in your stride is paramount to having a good time with the genre.

I keep reminding myself of that. It's not like the unknowability factor is going completely out the window in the full release of Hades 2, even if it does mean less substantial changes overall. The full release will make it even easier to try and plan out a given run in advance, with the story itself set to be fully fleshed out as of v1.0. It also means I'll (hopefully) never again have to suffer through the loss of a staple favorite boon unless Supergiant sees fit to patch them.

That's a pretty likely scenario – unlike the first two major updates Warsong and Olympian, the Unseen Update has been more about retooling, rebalancing, asset refreshes, and fleshing out smaller subplots. Already, I can feel Supergiant shifting focus from narrative progression to smoothing out the kinks and adding finishing touches to the core experience – something that's both exciting and nerve-wracking at the same time.

Violent ends

Now well past the 70-hour mark in my Hades 2 Early Access journey, I'm using the Unseen Update as a fond farewell to the game as it stands right now.

I'm most excited about how the Umbral Flames have been reworked slightly, making them snappier and more precise (though still not as powerful as the Black Coat or Sister Blades, but that's personal preference talking) – and I'm also thrilled about being able to progress some of my Hades 2 relationships.

Really, these expanded pathways are the most worthwhile part of it for me. Romance, while not a pivotal aspect of the first Hades, cemented the roguelike as one of the best LGBT+ games for anyone looking for an authentic side dish to the action-packed main course. Now, Hades 2 is upping the ante by giving Mel four potential paramours – Moros, Eris, Nemesis, and Icarus – and I'm hellbent on collecting the full set.

As I mentioned earlier, the Unseen Update is less about moving the main story forward as it is about fleshing out the connective tissue. I'm not mad about that at all – Hades is known for its thousands of lines of unique dialogue, and while many of these might be triggered by main story events, plenty of them are not. I want to save something for the full release, though, but getting closer to Hades 2's supporting characters has been something of a fond farewell (for now).

There's something poetic about this last update getting us more acquainted with the people we meet in Hades 2, the active experience of playing a witchling goddess. Once again, Supergiant pushes its game against the edges of the roguelike genre by offering up emotional, immersive moments that feel almost RPG-like in nature, and that closeness is something I'm not taking for granted as we leave Early Access.

If I could pinpoint where I am right now, I'd say I'm firmly at the acceptance end of the proverbial grief cycle. I don't think I ever felt anger, really – Early Access games either launch or fold completely, and the former was never going to happen with Hades 2. It's something I've been prepared for all along, but it still feels surreal to think so many of us could hold this game in our hands mere months from now. I'll see you guys at the finish line – moonlight guide us all.

Check out all the new and upcoming PC games to watch for as 2025 rolls out if you just can't wait for Hades 2