What you need to know
- Hades 2 is an upcoming roguelike game being developed and published by Supergiant Games.
- Like its predecessor, Hades 2 is entering early access before its full release.
- Ahead of the early access period, Supergiant Games is holding a playtest for Hades 2 to gather data.
- Sign-ups are available now on Steam for anyone interested in taking part in the Hades 2 playtest.
Get ready to dive in on an adventure with the Princess of the Underworld.
Hades 2 is on the way, and ahead of the game's planned early access period, developer and publisher Supergiant Games is holding a technical test to gather some extremely early data. There's no exact date for when the playtest will begin, but Supergiant Games indicates via Twitter it's coming "shortly," and Windows PC players can go ahead and register on Steam for a chance to be selected.
What should you expect from the Hades 2 technical test?
According to Supergiant Games, this playtest is planned to run for longer than a week but less than a month. A handful of players that sign up will be selected and granted access. Any players who join the Hades 2 technical test will then be expected to provide feedback for any issues they inevitably encounter.
The technical test consists of the first major area in the game (think Tartarus in the first game) with a handful of characters, quests, and gameplay options. Given the limited nature of the test, it's not meant to be replayed multiple times, as things won't change after a certain point.
Assuming things go according to plan, Supergiant Games then plans to launch the Hades 2 early access period shortly after the playtest winds down. Save data from the technical test is not going to transfer into early access.
Here are the minimum Windows PC requirements for taking part in the playtest:
- OS: Windows 10 64-bit
- Processor: Dual Core 2.4 Ghz
- Memory: 4GB RAM
- Graphics: 2GB VRAM / DirectX 12+ support
Analysis: It's all coming together
I can't wait to see what Supergiant Games has in store with Hades 2. The original Hades was an excellent game that I absolutely loved, and I'm confident that'll be true of the sequel as well. Hades 2 is only confirmed to launch on PC right now, meaning it'll likely be one of the best Windows PC games available, but we should also expect to see console port announcements in the future.
In our review of Hades, writer Cale Hunt wrote that "Hades is easy to pick up and start feeling right away like you're making a difference, and it's not going to grow stale after a few hours. And even if you aren't particularly skilled at the game (looking at myself), the myriad character upgrades available will eventually make you far more resilient and powerful, allowing you to go just a bit further each time."
