The underworld will soon welcome fans back with open arms, as Supergiant Games is running a technical test for Hades II ahead of Early Access. Sign-ups are currently open, but access is expected to be extremely limited.
“We’re conducting the Hades II Technical Test prior to our Early Access launch to help us find and solve any technical issues we might have missed thus far, to ensure anyone who tries Hades II in Early Access can have a smooth play experience from the start,” reads the announcement post on Steam. “The Technical Test contains much less content than what’s in store for the Early Access launch, and may be available only to a relatively small subset of players who express interest in participating.”
To be considered for participants, prospective players have to simply head to Steam and click the “Request Access” button on the game page. The test is set to “begin shortly,” with its duration estimated to be “longer than a week, [and] shorter than a month.” Do take note that save data won’t transfer over to Early Access, which according to the studio, “shouldn’t be far behind”.
First revealed during the 2022 Game Awards, Hades II will inherit the roguelike mechanics of its predecessor, but with new female protagonist Melinoë, Zagreus’ sister, and new gods along for the ride. The first major area, as well as early-game characters, systems, and content are the focus of the upcoming technical test.
From the look of things, Supergiant is seemingly on track to deliver Early Access in the previously announced Spring 2024 release window. The original Hades certainly reaped the benefits of its Early Access stay, going on to receive critical acclaim and plenty of accolades, including becoming the first video game to win the Hugo Award literary prize.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
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Ryan Michael Chin
