
Usually, when a highly anticipated video game comes out, we hear about it months in advance. This allows the developer to build anticipation. That didn't happen with Hades II, as developer Supergiant Games surprised everyone by putting the game out in early access on Steam without as much as a press release.
Sure, there was a technical test for the game that could have tipped an impending launch, but game developers often do tests well before the actual release to ensure smooth development progress. The company did announce that it would follow an early access launch plan, as it did with the first Hades, but it didn't say when.