Hades 2 Early Access Success Brings in More Than 100K Concurrent Players

Hades 2 is the sequel to Supergiant Games' critically acclaimed roguelike title and has had a very successful early access launch on Steam, reaching more than 100,000 concurrent players.

The sequel has already outpaced its predecessor as the first game in the franchise only managed to reach a concurrent player record of 37,749. However, it is worth noting that Hades was a timed exclusive on the Epic Games Store before it arrived on Steam.

Hades 2 Early Access Success

The launch of Hades 2 also appears to have boosted the concurrent player record of the original game. Statistics on SteamDC have shown that the first game recorded a peak of 36,043 players in the 24 hours after the sequel's launch, which is relatively close to its peak four years ago.

During Hades 2's early access debut, Supergiant Games said that it was planning its first major update for "later this year" and would closely monitor player feedback on the game. The developer added that the major update will take some time to be available after launch, according to Eurogamer.

The first game in the franchise was a fan favorite and managed to win several awards, including a few BAFTAs. Prior to Hades 2's early access release, Supergiant Games has been working on the title for three years.

The game features several characters that players can talk to, various regions to explore, weapons to wield, and materials to gather. The developer also noted that the latest game in the franchise has "more environments, foes, and fully-voiced characters than the full version of the original Hades game."

The developer also expects to keep Hades 2 in early access on Steam for at least through the end of this year. This was revealed in an in-game roadmap and showed that Supergiant Games is planning to add another region, weapon, and decoration system for players' forest encampment, PCGamer.

What To Expect in the Sequel

Many players who are already well into Hades 2's early access will more than likely notice various similarities it has with the original game.

These include basic mechanics such as collecting upgrades and defeating hordes of enemies along the way. You will also reach a boss fight that, when defeated, unlocks a door to the next level.

The game expects you to die, a lot, throughout the course of your adventure, which will send you back to the central hub, The Crossroads. In this area, you can buy permanent buffs and unlock various items that will help you last longer and go farther than before.

The sequel expands from its predecessor by giving players a lot more options, including keepsakes that the Gods gift you, weapons, gathering tools, prophecies, incantations, or encounters.

One key difference between the two games is that in Hades 2, players will take control of the Princess of the Underworld, Melinoe. While Zagreus was on a mission to escape the Underworld in the first game, Melinoe has a different story.

She is torn between traveling to Tartarus to carry out the punishment of Chronos or going to the surface to battle against his armies, according to PCGamesN.