If you’ve been anxiously awaiting Hades II, the sequel to Supergiant’s stunning 2020 roguelike, I’ve got good news for you. While the hotly anticipated title isn’t quite entering Early Access just yet, the studio says it’s not all that far off. And ahead of that milestone, Supergiant will be running a technical test for Hades 2. Prospective players can sign up for a chance to be one of the lucky few to take part.
First revealed during the 2022 Game Awards, Hades 2 will bring back the roguelike mechanics of its predecessor but put players in the shoes of new protagonist Melinoë. She is the sister of the first game’s protagonist, Zagreus, though she seems to be way more serious than the prince of the underworld.If you want to be considered for participation in the technical test (which Supergiant says will begin “shortly”) all you need to do is head to Steam and click the “Request Access” button on the Hades 2 game page. Superigant does warn that the test will be limited, “Our process boils down to: invite some players, fix any problems they run into, invite more players, and so on.” Supergiant writes in an official blog post.
The technical test will feature Hades 2’s first major area as well as early-game characters, systems, and content. If you happen to clear the area available in the technical test, the game will “gently suggest” you stop playing and wait patiently for Early Access, which shouldn’t be far behind. Though be aware, save data from the technical test will not transfer to the Early Access version of Hades 2.
Supergiant states that while it doesn’t have a hard timeline, it expects the technical test to run longer than a week but shorter than a month with the release of Early Access to the public coming soon after. This means the studio is on track to deliver Early Access in the previously stated “Q2 2024” release window. Let’s hope that means sometime before June!