Massive new Hades 2 update finally adds a brutal final boss and, more importantly, a new pet sidekick

Hades 2: The Warsong update has been revealed, and it adds a final boss to the last level even though the game's still in Early Access.

The roguelike sequel first launched in Early Access last May, and as of yet there's no release date for its 1.0 update, but that's not stopping developer Supergiant from dropping some, well, giant updates. There have been a handful of smaller patches with balancing changes and bug fixes, but Warsong is only the second "Major Update" we've seen, and it's pretty major indeed.

You can get the full patch notes here, but the biggest highlight is definitely the addition of "the final confrontation on the surface," so basically, the Hades 2 equivalent of the Hades boss fight in the first game.

While that's technically the main draw here, all of us real ones know that it's the addition of a brand new pet sidekick, or as they're known in Hades 2, the Animal Familiar. Melinoe's new furry companion is the fifth to be added in Early Access, and the li'l guy is called Gale the Polecat. For the unaware, let me bless your timeline real quick. Polecats are in the same family as weasels, badgers, and otters, except they're way cuter than any of those combined. Just look at this little stinker!

Hades II - The Warsong Update Trailer - YouTube

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Anywho, the other Big Thing is Ares, the original God of War Hades fans have been missing since the first game. Ares was popular for his powerful boons and powerful jawline, and now Hades 2 players can benefit from his unique blessings at long last.

Elsewhere, Warsong tidies up some menu screens and adds new and reworked art to the Altar of Ashes, as well as over 2,000 new voice lines, what seems to be a singing minigame at the Crossroads, and a whole lot of Boon reworks.

Warsong is available as a free Hades 2 update now, and Supergiant already has plans for a third Major Update, which should be releasing "some months from now."

In the meantime, see where the original Hades lands in our best roguelike games list. Spoilers: it's high.