Hades II Launches Sept. 25 With Full Release Including Nintendo Switch and Switch 2
- Supergiant Games confirms Hades II leaves Early Access and launches Sept. 25, 2025.
- The sequel includes the true ending, achievements, and expanded content.
- Nintendo Switch 2 players get 120fps performance with free cross-gen upgrades.
- Cross-saves between PC and Nintendo consoles ensure seamless progression.
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Supergiant Games And Its Track Record
Supergiant Games has maintained a rare consistency in the gaming industry. Founded in 2009, the studio gained recognition with Bastion, an action RPG that stood out for its narration-driven storytelling. It followed with Transistor and Pyre, games that reinforced the studio’s reputation for innovation in presentation and design.
Hades, released in 2020, pushed Supergiant into a new tier of acclaim. It combined roguelike structure with evolving storytelling, allowing players to uncover narrative through repeated runs. The game’s critical and commercial success positioned Supergiant as a leader in independent development, capable of competing with larger studios while retaining creative control.
“We expected Early Access development of Hades II to last for at least a year from our May 5, 2024 Early Access launch. We recently announced that v1.0 of Hades II is launching Sept. 25, 2025,” Supergiant games said on its website.
Now with Hades II, Supergiant faces the challenge of delivering its first direct sequel. Unlike its previous catalog of standalone titles, the studio has chosen to expand a proven formula rather than reinvent. The move signals both confidence in the original game’s design and recognition of its enduring popularity.
The Journey From Early Access To Full Release
Hades II entered Early Access in May 2024, following the model that worked successfully for the original Hades. Over the course of development, Supergiant released major updates every few months, layering in new features, environments, and characters. Players in Early Access already encountered more content than what existed in the final version of the first game.
The upcoming 1.0 release on Sept. 25, 2025, represents the culmination of this iterative process. It brings the true ending of the story, Steam achievements, and polished balance adjustments. By relying on player feedback during Early Access, Supergiant refined the mechanics in real time, ensuring that the final version avoids common pitfalls of untested systems.
“During Early Access, our plan was to release a Major Update every few months containing new features and content, followed soon after by patches to shore up any issues. Having launched our third Major Update, we are now preparing for our v1.0 launch.”
This cycle demonstrates how Early Access, when carefully managed, can provide both financial sustainability and a collaborative design framework. Supergiant positioned Hades II not as an unfinished product but as a growing one, giving players a sense of participation in the creative process.
Expanding The Underworld In Hades II
The narrative of Hades II moves beyond Zagreus to introduce Melinoë, the immortal Princess of the Underworld. She faces Chronos, the Titan of Time, who has escaped imprisonment to wage war on Olympus. The scope is larger than its predecessor, shifting the focus from escaping the Underworld to confronting cosmic-scale conflict.
Mechanically, Hades II deepens the roguelike systems by adding witchcraft and dark sorcery to its core loop. Players can infuse weapons of Night with ancient magick, creating new strategies alongside the familiar Boons from Olympian gods. The design ethos mirrors Diablo’s expansive build systems or Dead Cells’ layering of weapons and mutations, offering near-limitless combinations.
“You don’t need to know anything about the original game or Greek myth to enjoy Hades II. But if you do know the ins and outs of the original or the classical mythology that inspired it, you’ll find plenty of connections, as well as plenty of new challenges you’ll have to learn to overcome. We want for players to experience a strong sense of discovery in Hades II, whether they played the original game or not.”
Supergiant designed the sequel to operate as both continuation and fresh entry point, a strategy also seen in franchises like Persona or Final Fantasy.
Technical Features And Switch 2 Enhancements
A major draw of Hades II’s launch is its integration with new hardware. On Nintendo Switch 2, the game runs at 120 frames per second in TV mode at 1080p, offering console players an experience comparable to high-end PCs. In handheld mode, it runs at 60 frames per second, while the standard Switch version maintains 60 frames per second at 720p.
The upgrade path is consumer-friendly. Players who buy the Nintendo Switch version can download the Switch 2 edition at no additional cost. This approach contrasts with some publishers who gatekeep enhancements behind separate purchases. Supergiant positions the sequel as a flexible experience across platforms.
“A retail version of Hades II on a standard physical game card for Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 will be available Nov. 20, 2025,” Supergiant said.
Cross-save functionality further underscores this design philosophy. Whether on PC, Switch, or Switch 2, players can transfer progress seamlessly. This feature aligns Hades II with modern expectations of portability and continuity, a standard that major franchises like Diablo and Fortnite have adopted.
A Sequel Balancing Legacy And Expectation
Hades II’s full release comes after more than four years of development, including over a year in Early Access. It enters the market with an established fanbase, high expectations, and a genre framework that Supergiant already mastered. While many sequels risk diluting their predecessors, Hades II appears structured to expand rather than compromise.
The focus on iterative refinement, combined with robust technical support, places the game in a strong position. It is both a continuation of Supergiant’s storytelling approach and a demonstration of how indie studios can leverage Early Access effectively. Where the first Hades was a breakout success, the sequel represents a test of sustainability.
By Sept. 25, 2025, players will have the definitive version of Hades II, complete with its true ending and platform-wide support. In a year dominated by sequels and remakes, Supergiant’s approach blends careful iteration with consumer-friendly design.
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