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Hades II: Complete Beginner’s Guide to the Story, Runs, Progression, and Platforms

Learn how Hades II’s repeated expeditions, witchcraft, Boons, and lasting upgrades drive Melinoë’s campaign against Chronos, plus current platform and save-transfer details.
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Hades II is a complete rogue-like dungeon crawler about Melinoë’s campaign against Chronos, the Titan of Time. Each expedition combines combat, changing challenges, weapons and dark sorcery, while Boons and persistent upgrades help shape future attempts. The story advances through both setbacks and accomplishments, so a run is part of the narrative rather than a separate mode. The game does not require prior knowledge of the original Hades or Greek mythology.

What is Hades II?

Hades II is a rogue-like dungeon crawler from Supergiant Games, set in the world of Greek myth. You play Melinoë, the immortal Princess of the Underworld, witch, and sorceress, as she takes on Chronos, the Titan of Time. The campaign plays out across repeated expeditions: combat and discovery change from attempt to attempt, and the story unfolds as Melinoë makes progress and encounters the game’s cast.

Supergiant says newcomers can enjoy the sequel without knowing the first game or Greek myth. Returning players may recognize connections, but Hades II is presented as a story and adventure in its own right. See the official FAQ.

How do runs, combat, and progression work?

The central rhythm is to set out, fight through changing locations and challenges, gather opportunities to develop Melinoë, and return to continue the campaign. A failed or completed expedition still feeds into the larger experience: story events and character interactions unfold as you progress. This structure makes experimentation part of the game, rather than requiring every run to follow one fixed route.

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#1 Best Overall
Hades II - Nintendo Switch™ 2 Edition
  • Battle beyond the Underworld using dark sorcery to take on the Titan of Time in this bewitching sequel to the award-winning rogue-like dungeon crawler.

Weapons and witchcraft

Melinoë fights with the Weapons of Night and dark sorcery. Xbox Wire describes weapons that can be infused with magic, making weapon choice and magical abilities part of how a run takes shape. The official overview establishes these systems but does not identify a universally strongest weapon or tested optimal setup.

Boons and run choices

Olympian gods offer Boons that add abilities and create combinations. Xbox Wire’s overview describes more than a dozen gods and many possible ability combinations. Treat that as a description of breadth, not a ranking: the available sources do not establish a best build or current balance recommendations.

Resources and lasting upgrades

Resources and progression systems link expeditions to longer-term development. The official Xbox overview names the Altar of Ashes, familiars, reagents, and Tools of the Unseen; Supergiant also highlights upgrade systems and late-game unlockables. The available official descriptions do not give enough detail to prescribe an exact upgrade order, so use each system’s in-game explanation to decide what supports your preferred approach.

Rank #2
Hades II - Nintendo Switch™ 2 Edition (European Version)
  • Battle beyond the Underworld to vanquish the Titan of Time as the Princess of the Dead in this bewitching sequel to the original rogue-like dungeon crawler. Hades II lets players explore a bigger, deeper mythic world with the full might of Olympus at their call in a story that reacts to their every setback and accomplishment.

God Mode and accessibility

God Mode returns, alongside permanent upgrades, according to Xbox Wire. Its overview does not specify the mode’s exact effects or settings, so check the in-game description if you want to know how it changes difficulty before enabling it.

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How does the story unfold?

The core conflict is Melinoë’s fight against Chronos, but the narrative is designed to develop through repeated progress rather than a single uninterrupted run. Supergiant says the v1.0 release added events for dozens of fully voiced characters, as well as the true ending, new music, Fated List prophecies, and late-game unlockables. Character encounters and story developments are therefore part of the reason to return after an expedition.

For the developer’s description of the completed release, see Supergiant’s v1.0 announcement.

Rank #3
Hades (XONE/XSERIESX)
  • Battle out of hell: As the immortal Prince of the Underworld
  • Unleash the fury of Olympus: The Olympians have your back!
  • Befriend gods, ghosts, and monsters
  • Built for replayability: New surprises await each time you delve into the ever-shifting Underworld
  • Signature Supergiant style

When did Hades II launch, and where can you play it?

Hades II is out of Early Access. Its v1.0 release arrived on September 25, 2025, for Steam, Epic Games Store, Nintendo Switch 2, and Nintendo Switch. Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5 versions followed on April 14, 2026. The game originally entered Early Access on Steam and Epic on May 6, 2024; that earlier phase is not its current release status. These dates and the current platform list are from Supergiant’s FAQ.

Supergiant announced 120 frames per second, bonus content, and quality-of-life improvements for the Xbox Series X and PS5 versions. That announcement confirms features for those consoles, not a performance comparison across every platform. Details are in the console release announcement.

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Which version should you choose?

Choose based on where you want to play, whether portability or physical media matters, and whether you need to move a save between specific platforms. The confirmed options and relevant differences are:

Rank #4
Saint Seiya: Meiou Hades Juunikyuu Hen - (PS2) PlayStation 2 [Pre-Owned]
  • Saint Seiya: Meiou Hades Juunikyuu Hen [ ]
  • Number of Local Players: 1 to 2
Platform or edition What to know
Steam or Epic Games Store (PC) Both received v1.0 on September 25, 2025. Cross-saves are supported between Steam and Epic, and PC or Mac saves can be transferred to Nintendo consoles through the in-game menu.
Nintendo Switch or Switch 2 Both received v1.0 on September 25, 2025. Switch and Switch 2 cross-saves are supported. A physical retail game card for the two Nintendo consoles launched November 20, 2025.
PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X|S Both launched April 14, 2026. Supergiant announced 120 frames per second, bonus content, and quality-of-life improvements for these console versions. Cross-saves with other versions are unavailable.

The physical retail card is specifically the Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 edition. Supergiant says the same card works on both consoles and that the package includes a 32-page Character Compendium, reversible cover slip, and soundtrack download code. The developer’s FAQ says there were no plans for physical Xbox or PlayStation editions at the time it was published; check the FAQ for any later change.

Xbox Wire described the Xbox launch as including Game Pass, Xbox on PC, and Xbox Cloud. Subscription catalogs and availability can change, so check the current Xbox listing rather than assuming access is included with a particular plan. No platform-wide comparison of prices or performance is established here.

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Can you transfer save progress between PC and Nintendo Switch?

Yes, within the combinations Supergiant lists. The supported arrangements are:

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  • Switch and Switch 2 cross-saves.
  • Steam and Epic Games Store cross-saves.
  • PC or Mac save transfer to Nintendo consoles through the in-game menu.

Supergiant says cross-saves with other versions are unavailable. In particular, do not assume a PlayStation or Xbox save can be synchronized with PC or Nintendo. See the FAQ’s save-transfer details.

What changed when the game reached v1.0?

The September 2025 v1.0 launch marked the completed release rather than an Early Access milestone. Supergiant says it added the true ending, more events for the fully voiced cast, new music, Fated List prophecies, and late-game unlockables. The developer also described the completed soundtrack by Darren Korb as just under four hours of music; it is available through Steam and Bandcamp, with streaming also available, according to the v1.0 announcement.

Quick Recap

Bestseller No. 3
Hades (XONE/XSERIESX)
Hades (XONE/XSERIESX)
Battle out of hell: As the immortal Prince of the Underworld; Unleash the fury of Olympus: The Olympians have your back!
$41.61
Bestseller No. 4
Saint Seiya: Meiou Hades Juunikyuu Hen - (PS2) PlayStation 2 [Pre-Owned]
Saint Seiya: Meiou Hades Juunikyuu Hen - (PS2) PlayStation 2 [Pre-Owned]
Saint Seiya: Meiou Hades Juunikyuu Hen [ ]; Number of Local Players: 1 to 2
$73.38

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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