Hades 2’s September 25 Launch is a Boon and a Curse

Hades 2, pedestaled by my adoration for its god-like roguelike predecessor, is a game that I’ve looked forward to since it was announced that Supergiant was developing its first-ever sequel. I’ve only ever played two games in early access—No Rest for the Wicked and Hades 2—and, while I respect and understand why some developers choose to release a game in early access for extensive periods before their full, 1.0 release, I would personally prefer to play a game when the final product is ready. This way, I can invest in them wholly, with the reassurance that I won’t eventually reach a cliffside where content has abruptly ceased and won’t be available until their 1.0 release. Thankfully, Hades 2’s 1.0 release date has finally been revealed.

Early access periods are terrific opportunities to support developers, although their indefinite timelines, including milestones and goals they haven’t yet met, guarantee that I’ll inevitably transition to other games’ releases in the meantime. That said, the time between when I retired my early access playthrough of Hades 2 and today has created a greater yearning for the full release. Sadly, in a cruel twist of fate, Hades 2 is scheduled to be released on September 25, which lands it squarely on the same day as Silent Hill f, the only game that could’ve possibly eclipsed it in terms of my enthusiasm and suspense now that Hollow Knight: Silksong has been released.

Hades 2 1.0 is Finally Nigh, But It’s Contending With a Psychological Horror Titan

If it wasn’t for Silent Hill f, Hades 2 would have no competition at all in my barren slate of anticipated game releases for the rest of the year. For instance, I’m uncertain if I’ll cave and play Ghost of Yotei at the beginning of October; indie sensation Hollow Knight: Silksong was released earlier this month and, engrossed in prolonging it and exploring at a snail’s pace, I’ll likely be finished it in the next couple of weeks; and no other release in the next few months piques my interest besides Little Nightmares 3 and Metroid 4: Beyond, while I’m still trying to carve out time to play Cronos: The New Dawn.

Had Hades 2 been launching its 1.0 version in October, November, or December, I’d feel free to devote all my time to it. But, because it launches literally on the same day as one of my most anticipated games of the year, I’m afraid I’ll be making a priority of Silent Hill f’s release date instead.

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I’ll technically be playing two days early, on September 22, via Silent Hill f’s Digital Deluxe edition bonus, but I presume it will take me longer than a few days to beat it, anyhow.

Not only does f look like it’s fashioned with all the right garments to make a fantastic Silent Hill game, but its novelty and boldness in a franchise that’s otherwise been left without a meaningful pulse before Bloober’s Silent Hill 2 remake is enough to instill me with hope for how the series may take shape hereafter. The little I’ve played of Hades 2 in early access back when it was released last year was spectacular, but it isn’t necessarily shattering the earth around its IP in the same way that f seems to be for Silent Hill. As you can probably surmise, Hollow Knight: Silksong, Silent Hill f, and Hades 2 all releasing in the same month have made September 2025 fairly special for me.

Has Hades 2’s Hype Dwindled in Early Access?

The short answer is: no. Anyone who’s been excited for Hades’ roguelike sequel, even if they have chosen not to stay up to date with it for the remainder of its early access period or will have another game they’re awaiting by the end of September, is likely only reinvigorated by the fact that it is launching later this month, unless they somehow grew weary of it already while playing it for the past 16 months—a couple of months shy of a year and a half since May 5, 2024.

Hades 2 is scheduled to be released on September 25, which lands it squarely on the same day as Silent Hill f, the only game that could’ve possibly eclipsed it in terms of my enthusiasm and suspense now that Hollow Knight: Silksong has been released.

This period and how lengthy it may seem on paper—whether that’s due to a gnawing eagerness to see its full launch and how the story unfolds, the anticipation of those who are uninitiated with early access periods and had only hopped into Hades during its full launch, or some extraneous factor—won’t be unfamiliar to anyone who was around for Hades’ early access. Indeed, Hades entered early access on December 6, 2018, as an Epic Games Store exclusive, and did not launch with 1.0 on Nintendo Switch and PC until September 17, 2020.

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So, by comparison, the Hades community is fortunate enough to be receiving the sequel’s 1.0 less than two years from when it first entered early access, especially when the content of Hades 2’s early access has already eclipsed that of the entire first game. Early access is obviously essential to Supergiant’s creative and development process, and it won’t be surprising if this is the formula it adheres to for the foreseeable future, regardless of whether its next game after Hades 2 is its second-ever sequel or a brand-new IP.

Baldur’s Gate 3’s early access went on for almost three years, and such leniency may well be the norm for games to reach their full potential and release with a 1.0 that is as complete and polished as possible.

Tragically, I decided 12-or-so hours into my Hades 2 early access playthrough that I would cease progress and wait however long it took to reinstall the game when it fully launched. Now, with a heavy heart, I’ll be shelving it in my backlog until at least October because Silent Hill f is being released on the same day. I can’t complain, though; playing Hollow Knight: Silksong, Silent Hill f, and Hades 2 back-to-back is going to be a treat that won’t be taken for granted.

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Action

Roguelite

Hack and Slash

RPG

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OpenCritic Reviews: Top Critic Avg: 95 /100 Critics Rec: 98%

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Released: September 25, 2025
ESRB: Teen / Alcohol Reference, Blood, Mild Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence
Developer(s): Supergiant Games
Publisher(s): Supergiant Games