Hades was an astonishing achievement - a roguelike game that demonstrated with total mastery how to tell a compelling story despite repeating gameplay patterns.
Its developer Supergiant Games has never revisited a game's world before, but has thankfully bucked this trend by announcing a sequel - Hades II. Here are all the key details you should know.
If you're on the lookout for more upcoming games, check out our lists for PlayStation 5 or for Xbox Series X and S.
Hades II trailer
We had no inkling that a new Hades game was coming - it was kept secret impressively well by its developers. That made it a really pleasant surprise at The Game Awards in December 2022.
It was unveiled with a trailer that you can view below.
It's a gorgeous animated scene that transitions into some early gameplay footage before it wraps up, making it a pleasingly informative bit of viewing.
Hades II release date
For now, we don't have an indication of when Hades II will be coming out, although even "coming out" is a bit of a simplification, as we'll explain below.
In terms of a full release of the game, it sounds like we can't expect it to happen in 2023, with 2024 looking more likely at this stage.
That'll be something that we get more news on during the course of 2023, though, according to Supergiant Games.
Hades II early access
The first Hades was a huge example of how to make an early access game the right way. It was available really early for interested backers, received constant support and updates, and eventually released as a highly-polished 1.0 game.
Supergiant is going to repeat that plan this time, according to a useful FAQ article it's uploaded to its website.
That means that you will be able to play an unfinished (although likely still hugely compelling) version of Hades II from way earlier than the finished version.
We'll apparently get more information about when this early access campaign will go live, but if we were guessing we'd think that late 2023 is the most likely slot given the wording around the game so far.
Hades II platforms
Supergiant is being a little coy about where Hades II will come out, which could be explained in a few ways.
Firstly, it'll certainly come to PC first, as that's the only place early access games really reside.
It will come to "console platforms" too, according to Supergiant, but which ones will be announced later down the line.
This could be because there are exclusivity agreements being discussed with Sony or Microsoft (Game Pass, anyone?) or because Nintendo's hardware might be updated by the time it comes out.
Either way, it means we have to wait before being able to confirm for sure where Hades II will be playable.
Hades II story
Supergiant says that Hades II is a direct sequel to Hades, but one that won't require full knowledge of the first game to enjoy.
This time we'll be playing as Melinoë, one of Zagreus' siblings and the Princess of the Underworld, as she seeks to rescue her imprisoned father Zeus and take down Chronos, the Titan of Time.
We'll doubtless meet another assortment of gods and mythical figures along the way, getting to know them and uncovering their stories as time goes on.
We can't wait to dig into this side of things, given how brilliantly it was all managed in the first Hades.
Hades II gameplay
From the glimpses in the reveal trailer, and based on Supergiant's descriptions, it sounds like Hades II will refine the formula rather than writing a new one entirely.
So, expect a few guarantees - an isometric viewpoint and a roguelike structure, firstly. There'll be a hub area where you can chat to people between runs and purchase upgrades and cosmetics.
Runs will move you through randomised areas and enemies collecting similarly random upgrades to create new builds each time, through a world that Supergiant says will be bigger and deeper than before.
Whether this means more weapons to choose from, a wider range of variables in terms of upgrades and boons, or all of the above, time will tell.
The short clips we've seen suggest that the first game's fluid, responsive and clear combat will be back in force, though, so you can be pretty sure it'll handle very nicely indeed.
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