How to play Hades 2 early access and what it includes

You can play the Hades 2 early access build now via Steam and the Epic Games Store, letting you dive into the Underworld to defeat Time itself. It's a massive chunk of the game too, featuring multiple regions, lots of characters, and so, so many Boons, Arcana Cards, Incantations, and more. Since this version of Hades 2 seems like a complete game, I've tried to answer some burning Hades 2 early access questions below, including how to start playing and how long the early access period might last.

How to play Hades 2 in early access

Hades 2 is now available to buy on Steam and the Epic Games Store for $29.99/£24.99, granting you access to the early access build of the game. Buy the game and get it downloaded like you would with any other game on Steam and the EGS, and then you can start playing.

PC is currently the only platform for Hades 2 early access, but Supergiant Games is expecting to launch Hades 2 on consoles too. The exact selection of consoles, and when it'll get released on them, is not clear, however.

How long will Hades 2 early access last?

There is no set time for Hades 2 early access at the moment, but developer Supergiant Games has said in an in-game update log that it expects the game to be in early access "at least through the end of 2024". Based on that information, an early 2025 release date sounds most likely, but that could still all change, potentially launching sooner or later.

Previously, Supergiant Games said in a blog: "…our experience developing in Early Access has taught us (among many things) to expect the unexpected." Hades 1 was in early access from December 2018 until September 2020 – almost two years – but thankfully it sounds like Hades 2 won't be access for quite as long. Hopefully the developers won’t be set back by any global pandemics either.

What does Hades 2 early access include?

Obviously, this early access build isn't a complete version of the game, though it is a significant amount of it, giving you lots to play even in early access. I won't go into full details to avoid spoilers, but it's a big step up from the previous technical test. You can explore the Crossroads hub area and venture to Erebus and several regions beyond, fighting several bosses along the way.

There's also a huge cast of Hades 2 characters to meet, be they gods offering Boons or legendary characters to chat to. While on your nightly runs as Melinoe, you'll also collect, use, and upgrade Hades 2 Arcana Cards (Melinoe's equivalent of Zagreus' Mirror of Night upgrades) and all sorts of weapons from the Nocturnal Arms. You'll also progress the story and unlock permanent upgrades by completing Incantations at Hecate's cauldron.

Supergiant Games has also made it clear that they intend to add major updates to the early access build with their Hades 2 roadmap, eventually leading up to the full v1.0 release – whenever that may be. The first major update will come some time in 2024, "some months after our initial [early access] launch." Not all of the following features will make it into the next update, but Supergiant has said it will be working on a completely new region for later this year, cosmetic upgrades for the Crossroads, another weapon, more Weapon Aspects, and new music, story, and artwork.

Importantly, the studio has also said it intends to carry your early access save data across to the full launch of the game. Bear in mind this isn't a definite feature as Supergiant is "doing everything possible" to ensure it happens. For updates, make sure you're following Supergiant Games on Twitter and that you're a member of the Hades Discord server or are signed up to the Hades 2 mailing list, both of which can be accessed via the game's main menu.

Finally, early access means everything is still subject to change. The Hades 2 v1.0 full launch build will not look exactly as it does now in early access, both because of some rebalancing and adjustments across all aspects of the game, and because of major feature updates over the course of the early access period.

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