Hades II

Hades II is an action roguelike by Supergiant Games and the direct sequel to Hades. This time Melinoë takes center stage: the immortal princess of the Underworld trains in witchcraft and fights Chronos, the Titan of Time.

Instead of a straight journey, the adventure consists of repeated combat attempts. After defeats, Melinoë returns, talks to other characters, develops new abilities and sets off again with changed options.

Hades II was released on Sep 25, 2025 in version 1.0 for PC, Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2. Previously, the PC version had been playable in Early Access since May 6, 2024.

The standalone versions for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S were released on Apr 14, 2026. Version 1.0 added, among other things, the actual ending of the story and further encounters.

Hades II is available for PC with Windows or macOS, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. On PC, it is offered via Steam and the Epic Games Store.

The Nintendo Switch 2 version supports up to 120 frames per second in TV mode at 1080p. In handheld mode, it's 60 frames per second at 1080p. On the original Switch, 60 frames per second at 720p is planned. The PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S versions also support up to 120 frames per second.

Melinoë fights her way through consecutive rooms full of enemies from an isometric perspective. Attacks, dodges and magic set the pace. Which rooms and rewards appear changes between attempts.

After each fight, you choose new upgrades, adapt your combat style and decide how much risk to take for extra rewards. The game combines fast reactions with decisions that only unfold later in a run.

The full story, additional character encounters and later unlocks are part of Hades II. The improvements for Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5 were also provided for the other versions.

The physical Nintendo edition was released on Nov 20, 2025. It does not change the basic release of the digital Switch versions.

On Windows, Hades II requires at least Windows 10 (64-bit), a dual-core processor at 2.4 GHz, 8 GB RAM, a GeForce GTX 950 or comparable graphics, and around 11 GB of free storage space.

Recommended: a quad-core processor at 2.4 GHz, 16 GB RAM and a graphics card such as the GeForce RTX 2060. On macOS, macOS 12 with an Apple M1 chip or newer is supported.

Melinoë can use various Nightmare weapons, each with its own attacks and special moves. Depending on the weapon, close range, reach and interaction with spells work differently.

Weapon aspects and additional upgrades change the properties of your equipment. This lets you try out aggressive melee routes as well as variants that keep enemies at a distance.

Melinoë's magic is an integral part of the combat system. Alongside normal attacks, she can enhance magical variants and control enemies with summonings.

Gods of Olympus bestow boons that change attacks, special abilities and spells. Each combination sets different priorities. The power of the moon goddess Selene adds powerful witchcraft to Melinoë's arsenal.

At the Altar of Ashes, Melinoë assembles Arcana cards. They grant permanent benefits for upcoming attempts, such as extra resources or new combat options.

The selection is limited: strong cards take up more capacity. It's therefore worth adapting your card deck to your weapon, playstyle and the next path.

Familiar animal companions can support Melinoë on her journey. The so-called Familiars help in combat or with other tasks.

With various tools, Melinoë gathers plants and other materials. At the cauldron, these become summonings and upgrades that open up new options later in the game.

Hades II leads through the Underworld and, via a second route, up to the surface. Both routes have their own locations, enemies and guardians.

Changing regions and encounters mean Melinoë has to adapt her strategies. New paths and dangers become accessible as the adventure progresses.

Chronos has escaped his captivity and threatens the rule of the gods. Melinoë tries to free her family and break the power of the Titan.

Across repeated attempts, the story unfolds through conversations. Familiar figures from Greek mythology and new characters react to your progress, defeats and decisions.

A defeat ends a single combat attempt, but not your progress. Collected resources go into Arcana, Summonings, equipment and other unlocks.

The Fate List tracks long-term objectives. That makes a short session worthwhile too, even if Melinoë doesn't defeat the respective guardian.

The mix of random rewards, different weapons and tougher challenges gives each new attempt a different focus.

The optional God Mode gradually eases especially tough battles. If you're looking for extra challenges, you can deliberately raise the difficulty of attempts.

Save games can be transferred between the Steam version and the versions for Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2. This is done through the in-game menu.

The Epic Games Store version no longer supports this save sync. Cross-platform save transfer is not planned with PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.

Hades II combines hand-drawn character portraits with vivid environments and clearly readable combat effects. The characters are fully voiced in numerous dialogues.

Music accompanies both the intense battles and the calmer encounters between attempts. Additional tracks and dialogue were part of the release of version 1.0.

Hades II offers German on-screen text and subtitles. The spoken dialogue is in English.

The game can be played with a controller. On the Steam Deck, the PC version is rated Verified by Valve.