We have not one but two new collectible figurines in the works from the relentlessly excellent Good Smile Company! First up is POP UP PARADE Zagreus, a to-scale rendition of the Prince of the Underworld himself. Not known for his stature, this Zagreus stands about 180mm high and features a detailed Stygius blade in hand. (pre-order)
Next, joining Nendoroid Zagreus and Thanatos is none other than Nendoroid Megaera, the First of the Furies, rounding out this lovable trio of Good Smile Company's line of super-cute Nendoroid collectibles! (pre-order)
The diminutive Fury Sister of course brandishes her vicious whip, an alternate face for when she's off duty and perhaps enjoying a Nectar or two, and her unique keepsakes, the Skull Earring and Companion Batty.
We're really excited that POP UP PARADE Zagreus and Nendoroid Megaera will be joining the others, and have had a great time collaborating with Good Smile and seeing them bring our characters to life. We hope you enjoy them all if you get a chance to pick them up!
We've just expanded the official Hades Collectionof merchandise over at Fangamer with an all-new set of items, just in time for the holidays!
It's been wonderful to see the response to our first set of merchandise this past summer, and we've had a great experience collaborating with Fangamer. So we're pleased to introduce these latest goods. Here are some of the highlights!
The plush of this legend of Greek myth was designed by Nina Matsumoto. He's about 8" tall when seated and quips one of dozens of different voice lines each time you squeeze (smack?) his head. Powered by three replaceable AAA batteries, included. (get it here)
This pullover hoodie depicts the triple-headed guardian of hell, and is certain to keep you warm. It was designed by Nina Matsumoto and printed (chest and sleeve) by Forward on midweight poly-cotton sweatshirts from Port & Company and ITC. (get it here)
This T-shirt features Nyx in all her dark glory. It was designed by (you guessed it!) Nina Matsumoto, and printed by Forward on tie-dyed 100% cotton shirts from Port & Company. (get it here)
Thist-shirt features the loquacious Charon, boatman of the River Styx. It was designed by Studio Ilustrata and printed by Forward on soft, 100% cotton shirts from Canvas and District. (get it here)
This desk mat was designed by Adam Rufino and Jon Kay and is suitable for all your daily/nightly work/procrastination-related materials. It measures 35" x 16" across, with a 4mm rubber backing. (get it here)
These hard-enamel pins measure 1.4" to 1.7" tall, based on the likenesses of several extremely important members of the Underworld administration. We have Hades, Cerberus, and Dusa pins now in the lineup.
We hope you enjoy these latest items if you get a chance to pick them up. Browse the complete Hades Collection at Fangamer for additional shirts, pins, posters, and more, and best wishes to you and your loved ones this holiday season!
Words cannot express how excited we are to unveil Hades II, our studio's fifth game and first-ever sequel! Meet the Princess of the Underworld in our reveal trailer, which premiered tonight at The Game Awards:
In Hades II, you'll battle beyond the Underworld using dark sorcery as you take on the sinister Titan of Time in an all-new, action-packed, endlessly replayable experience rooted in the Underworld of Greek myth and its deep connections to the dawn of witchcraft.
Availability & Early Access
We will announce when Hades II will be available and for which platforms closer to when it's complete. The game is in full production right now, though we have a lot left to build!
Like its predecessor, Hades II will be available in Early Access for some time leading up to its full v1.0 launch. Expect more information on Hades II Early Access sometime in 2023.
Add Hades II to your wishlist on Steam or the Epic Games Store to be among the first to know about our Early Access when the time comes.
About the Game
Hades II is a direct sequel taking place sometime after the events of the original game. No prior knowledge of the original Hades is needed, though there are plenty of connections!
As Melinoë, the immortal Princess of the Underworld, you'll explore a bigger, deeper mythic world, vanquishing the Titan's forces with the full might of Olympus behind you, in a sweeping story that continually unfolds through your every setback and accomplishment. New locations, challenges, upgrade systems, and surprises await as you delve into the ever-shifting Underworld again and again.
Like her brother Zagreus from the original game, Melinoë is not a character of our own invention, and is based on an ancient Underworld deity thought to be related to Hades. What little ancient mythology exists about her was more than enough to make us want to explore her story and connection to her family, and in so doing, expand on our vision of the Underworld!
Read our Hades II FAQ for answers to many of your questions about the game. Please note, much like with our past titles, we plan to leave many details for you to discover!
We also invite you to join our mailing list, which we'll use to occasionally email you with information about how Hades II is coming along and other news from our studio.
About Supergiant Games
We are a small independent game studio based in San Francisco, CA. Since 2009, we have strived to make games that spark your imagination like the games you played as a kid. We now have more than 20 people on our team (a few more than on the original Hades), including all seven of the original members of the team that created our first game, Bastion, who have worked together in their respective roles on all our games ever since.
We work on one main new game project at a time, and Hades II is that project for the foreseeable future. The original Hades earned more than 70 Game of the Year awards following its v1.0 launch in 2020, and is our most successful game in every measurable way. Now, we are doing our best to make a sequel that lives up to its predecessor, and stands strong on its own merits.
Your generous support is the reason we've been able to stick together as a team all this time, so thank you very much for believing in us and for your patience as we develop this game!
Last Updated December 8, 2022: Here are answers to frequently asked questions about our fifth game, Hades II! This FAQ is a comprehensive source of official details we can share about the game. We plan to update it with new information through the course of development.
What is Hades II?
Hades II is a rogue-like dungeon crawler in which you'll battle beyond the Underworld of Greek myth using dark sorcery to take on the sinister Titan of Time. Our studio's first-ever sequel builds on the best aspects of the award-winning original in an all-new, action-packed, endlessly replayable experience rooted in the Underworld of Greek myth and its deep connections to the dawn of witchcraft. Read our announcement and watch our reveal trailer:
As the immortal Princess of the Underworld, you'll explore a bigger, deeper mythic world, vanquishing the forces of the Titan of Time with the full might of Olympus behind you, in a sweeping story that continually unfolds through your every setback and accomplishment. New locations, challenges, upgrade systems, and surprises await as you delve into the ever-shifting Underworld again and again.
When will Hades II be available?
The release date of Hades II is still to be determined, as we still have a lot left to build.
Will Hades II initially launch as an Early Access game?
Yes! Like its predecessor, Hades II will be available in Early Access for some time leading up to its full v1.0 launch. Expect more information on Hades II Early Access sometime in 2023.
Early Access means you will be able to purchase and play a work-in-progress version of Hades II, and optionally contribute feedback and gameplay data that's invaluable to our team as we work to fulfill the game's potential. Feedback from our player community through the course of development was foundational to the design and vital to the quality of the original game, so we plan to reprise that type of process with Hades II.
What platforms will Hades II be available on?
We expect for Hades II to eventually be available for both PC and console platforms. We will announce which platforms the game will be available on closer to when it is complete.
Prior to that, we plan to conduct the Early Access phase of Hades II on PC, on both Steam and the Epic Games Store simultaneously (the same platforms on which we conducted our Early Access for the original game).
How does Hades II relate to the original game?
Hades II is a direct sequel, set in and around the Underworld of Greek myth after the events of the original game. Chronos, the Titan of Time and the wicked father of Hades and his brothers, has escaped his imprisonment in the depths of the Underworld to wage war on Olympus. Can Time itself be stopped?
You don't need to know anything about the original game or Greek myth to enjoy Hades II. But if you do know the ins and outs of the original game or the classical mythology that inspired it, you'll find plenty of connections, as well as plenty of new challenges you'll have to learn to overcome. We want for players to experience a strong sense of discovery in Hades II, whether they are experienced with the original game or not.
Who is the protagonist of Hades II?
In Hades II, you play as Melinoë, the Princess of the Underworld, an immortal witch and sorceress with powerful magical abilities, deadly skill with a variety of shadowy weapons, and a score to settle.
Like her brother Zagreus from the original game, Melinoë is not a character of our own invention, and is based on an ancient Underworld deity thought to be related to Hades. What little ancient mythology exists about her was more than enough to make us want to explore her story and connection to her family, and in so doing, expand on our vision of the Underworld.
What's the connection between witchcraft and Greek myth?
Witchcraft is integral to numerous Greek myths, including some of the most famous, as well as many that inspired the original Hades and of course this sequel. Central to this ancient and oft-feared and misunderstood practice is Hecate, the secretive goddess of witchcraft and the crossroads. She plays a significant role in classical mythology surrounding Hades and the Underworld, and has been an influential and deeply compelling figure in witchcraft, myth, and folklore in a variety of cultures for thousands of years... so much so that we felt we needed a whole new game to try and do her justice.
As with the original game, our aim is to be faithful to the spirit of the classical sources that inspired us, from Homer to Hesiod. This extends to our portrayal of witchcraft in this game, given its strong ties to many of the myths and characters at the heart of both Hades and Hades II. Mythological tales of ancient gods and heroes live on by being told and retold, adapted, and filtered through new points of view across time; we’ll be excited to share ours once again.
Who is developing Hades II?
We are! We're Supergiant Games, a small independent game studio based in San Francisco, CA. Since 2009, we have strived to make games that spark your imagination like the games you played as a kid. We now have more than 20 people on our team (a few more than on the original Hades), including all seven of the original members of the team that created our first game, Bastion, and worked together on all our games ever since. We work on one main new game project at a time, and Hades II is that project for the foreseeable future.
You've never made a sequel before! Why now?
The original Hades is our most beloved game, and one that we loved building together as a team. Especially since it drew so much inspiration from classical Greek mythology, we always imagined the possibility of new stories in its world. But that in and of itself wasn't enough for us.
With each of our projects over the years, we've aimed to take on a new challenge that stretched our team's creativity and taught us more about how to make games well together. One such challenge we've long considered was to try and make a sequel that could somehow re-capture the sense of wonder and delight of its predecessor. Some of our all-time favorite games achieved this! The question is, can we?
Hades II, with its new perspective on a shadowy and alluring aspect of Greek myth, is our opportunity to find out. We get to keep building on foundational ideas that have captivated us since Supergiant's early days, while expanding the world of Hades in a variety of ways we find very exciting, and hope you will, too.
How long has Hades II been in development?
We started working on Hades II in earnest at the start of 2021.
Is Hades II a multiplayer game, or are there any plans for multiplayer?
Like its predecessor, Hades II is a single-player game. We have no plans for multiplayer, as we are creating the gameplay and narrative of Hades II with a solo experience in mind.
Who created your animated reveal trailer?
We collaborated with Studio Grackle on our animated reveal trailer for Hades II. We first teamed up with them for our Hades v1.0 Launch Trailer, and had such a good experience that we knew we wanted to work with them again to introduce Hades II to the world. The credits for the trailer, including voice talent for characters featured in it, are in the full description on YouTube.
Will you work with Noclip again on a video documentary about Hades II's development?
We loved working with Noclip on their Developing Hell video documentary series about the making of the original Hades, filmed throughout the course of its development. We've been in talks with Noclip about our current plans, though it's too early to say whether we'll end up doing something like last time.
When will you say more about the game?
We'll have more information about Hades II as we get closer to our Early Access launch. We may also update this FAQ from time to time. However, much like with our past titles, we'll leave most details about the game's story and characters for you to discover. We appreciate your understanding, patience, and support.
Update: Applications for this position are now closed. Thank you to all those who applied!
Our San Francisco-based team is seeking a UI Illustrator to create menu screen concepts, in-game HUD elements, and icons for our upcoming game, Hades II. This is a part-time, remote position on an as-needed basis for a limited scope of work. Here's the Keepsakes screen from the original game, as an example of this type of work!
Job Responsibilities:
Create hundreds of icons in a stylistically consistent way
Concept and illustrate screen elements, including buttons and backgrounds
Create UI and HUD mock-ups based on gameplay requirements
Prepare and organize layered files such that they are motion-graphics ready
Take feedback from our UI & VFX Artist and Art Director to meet artistic requirements
Deliver on artistic / creative goals while adhering to production, gameplay, and performance requirements
About the Candidate:
Experience working on UI illustration on shipped titles or completed personal projects
Organized, responsible, and able to work autonomously
Excellent written and verbal communication
Experience with Photoshop, fonts, and video game accessibility standards
Familiarity with Supergiant's titles, especially Hades; general interest in video games
Compensation: We are open to a range of experience for this position, and will offer commensurate compensation. For those earlier in their careers at the Associate level (~1-3 years experience), we offer $40/hr.; while for those at Senior Advanced (~12+ years experience) level, we offer $80/hr., with the range applying to experience levels in between. Our expectation is that more-experienced candidates would be able to deliver high quality first-pass work more often, requiring fewer revisions, and that such candidates may be more involved in the technical integration of their work as well.
Update: Applications for this position are now closed. Thank you to all those who applied!
Our small San Francisco-based team is seeking experienced translators to work closely with us to localize Hades II in a variety of languages. In this position, you will be responsible for translating the game's text content in one of our supported languages* throughout the course of development, as well as collecting and addressing relevant feedback during our Early Access phase.
You will be working in a mature pipeline for translation, using a web-based tool called CrowdIn to input and iterate on your translations. As part of this, you will be using Slack to regularly interact with our translators focused on other languages, as well as members of our development team including writers, producers, and engineers. During Early Access, text for translation will come in batches, and availability around each major update launch will be important to ensure a strong launch and quick resolution of any issues. This is a remote, contract position for the duration of Hades II development; the original Hades game contained more than 300,000 words, so this is a big project.
Job Responsibilities:
Translate the text content of Hades II into one of our supported languages*; evaluate and implement-as-needed feedback from the team and community.
Liaise with other translators and development staff to create and maintain shared solutions, standards, and practices for high-quality translation.
Maintain high awareness of the current state of the game, prioritizing key additions or changes, and regularly evaluating your work in context.
Deliver high-quality translations at a reliable cadence and based on foreknowledge of any specific deadlines and delivery requirements.
Work within any other constraints as needed, such as word counts or character counts.
About the Candidate:
Conversational, colloquial fluency in English and one of our supported languages*; preference for those living where your language is used daily.
2+ years experience and 1+ shipped games as a translator in your language.
Grasp for translating the spirit of the original English to your language, maintaining consistency of voice through many different characters.
Experience playing Hades and Greek myth translations in your language.
Experience using collaborative tools on an international translation team.
Experience reading game data using text editing software (e.g. SublimeText).
Organized, deadline-oriented, clear in communication, keen eye for detail.
Compensation: We offer $0.25 per word translated (inclusive of any revisions/iterations), completion bonuses for each major update, and a collaborative environment where you’ll have many opportunities to work directly with an award-winning development team and fellow translators.
Crediting: In any shipping version of the game, you would be credited using the name you specify, under Translation or Additional Translation for your language based on your level of contribution to the project.
* Supported Languages: We are currently seeking translators for these languages: French (FR), Italian (IT), German (DE), Spanish (ES), Polish (PL), Russian (RU), Turkish (TR), Simplified Chinese (ZH-CN), Traditional Chinese (ZH-TW), Korean (KO), Brazilian Portuguese (PT-BR), Ukrainian (UA), Greek (EL)
Note that while this may not necessarily be the complete list of languages for the full game, we are not seeking translators for other languages at this time.
Update Oct 13, 2022: The Hades Merchandise Collection is now available! Items based on our past titles are also now available!
We're thrilled to announce that we've joined forces with Fangamer to bring you a new line of official Hadesmerchandise, ranging from plushies to pins, and from artwork to apparel!
Like all the merchandise we've offered in the past, these items were designed in close collaboration with our team. And, Fangamer has years of experience delivering great game-inspired merchandise to customers around the world, so these items will be easier to get a hold of than items we've offered in the past. This partnership means we'll no longer be fulfilling merchandise directly, and we have Q&As about what that means later in this post. But first, let's look at just some of the new items available right now!
This notorious hound of hell is somewhat smaller than the real thing, measuring about 12" long from heads to tail. For maximum softness, the monstrous creature is filled with polyester cloud stuffing and covered in baby minky material. Designed by Nina Matsumoto and prototyped by Eyes5. (get it here)
Bask in the dark beauty of the Underworld of Hades in this stunning set of three original full-color art prints by the game's environment artist Joanne Tran and art director Jen Zee. Each piece in this run of 1000 measures 18" by 24" and is printed using the highest quality inks and materials. Perfect for framing, and designed to be displayed together. (get it here)
This plush of everyone's favorite House of Hades custodian / floating gorgon head is about 10" tall, wields a felt feather duster, and features a squeeze-activated voice box that emits one of dozens of generally anxious voice lines. Powered by three replaceable AAA batteries, included. (get it here)
Now you can always go the painful way in this long-sleeved shirt by Nina Matsumoto. The original design is printed on the chest and both sleeves by Forward, on the 100% cotton PC61LS from Port & Company. (get it here)
Browse the full catalog for enamel pins, the original soundtrack CD, T-shirts, and more -- and stay tuned, because we expect to have new items available down the line!
Supergiant Store Q&A
While we have lots of exciting new merchandise now available, we are discontinuing service from our home-grown online merchandise shop at store.supergiantgames.com. Here are answers to questions you may have:
Q: Why have you closed your online shop at store.supergiantgames.com?
A: We've always wanted to create great merchandise for our games, and since 2011, we've shipped that merchandise directly from our San Francisco HQ to customers around the world. However, the success of Hades plus many logistical challenges introduced by the COVID-19 pandemic meant we have struggled to meet the demand from our customers. As a small independent game studio, it's never been our ambition to grow to become a major online retailer -- but we still really want to offer official merchandise, ideally even more than before! We love designing physical items based on our games, and it's always been a refreshing creative challenge. Knowing there are teams that are better equipped to produce and distribute merchandise, we wanted to find great partners to work with who can help us play to our strengths. So, moving forward, our official merchandise will be available directly through reputable, trusted partners including Fangamer, Good Smile Company, and iam8bit. Note we plan to continue to use the store.supergiantgames.com domain to point to merchandise offerings from our partners.
Q: When and where will Hades merchandise be available?
A: On July 26, 2022, Fangamer launched our official Hades merchandise collection, featuring a variety of all-new items as well as items we've offered in the past. Other official merchandise is in development from Good Smile Company, including Nendoroid Zagreus, Thanatos, and Megaera. We've been fans of these teams for years, and very excited to be working with them.
Q: When will merchandise from your past titles be available again?
A: We've worked with Fangamer to bring over select items of our past merchandise based on Bastion, Transistor,and Pyre, which are available now in the Supergiant Games Collection!
Q: How can I find out about any new Supergiant merchandise?
A: Sign up for our email newsletter, follow us on Twitter, or join our Discord community to stay informed about any new merchandise or other announcements from us. You may also visit store.supergiantgames.com, where we plan to point to merchandise offerings from our partners offering official merchandise.
Q: Does Fangamer ship to customers around the world?
A: Yes indeed! Not only does Fangamer ship worldwide from North America, some of the merchandise will also be available to order from their European and Japanese locations.
Q: Will you be reissuing vinyl records for Hades or other soundtracks?
A: We are working on this! We will announce any reissues via our Twitter and our newsletter -- please sign up for our newsletter if you'd like to be notified about new merchandise.
To all our online store customers, thank you for all your patience and support over the years, and it's been our pleasure. We're really looking forward to this next chapter, as it will mean we can deliver more kinds of merchandise based on our games, and faster than before.
Hot on the heels of Nendoroid Zagreus, here comes Thanatos, a.k.a. Death himself, next in line to join Good Smile Company's line of super-cute Nendoroid collectibles! You can pre-order him now from Good Smile's official web site.
The pint-sized Death Incarnate includes his signature scythe weapon, an alternate face since he is sometimes known to smile, as well his trusty keepsakes, the Pierced Butterfly and Companion Mort.
We're very excited to get our hands on this figure, as we've long wanted to collaborate with Good Smile and see how they can bring our characters to life. And there's more where this came from, as Good Smile has announced Nendoroid Megaera is in the works, as well as shown the latest progress on the more lifelike POP UP PARADE Zagreus figurine! We hope you enjoy them all if you get a chance to pick them up.
We recently got our hands on the Steam Deck, Valve's new handheld gaming PC, and worked to ensure playing Hades on it felt as smooth and seamless as possible. Here's a brief video of our audio director Darren Korb giving the game and system a try:
Hades has been certified as Deck Verified, so you can expect it to work great on the platform. Note that, when starting the game on Steam Deck, we recommend using the Vulkan rendering option for optimal performance.
As for our past titles, Transistor is also Verified, while Bastion currently is certified 'Playable', which is one step short of 'Verified' status and means it may require some settings adjustments to work optimally on the platform. Pyre has not yet been reviewed by Valve.
We've been excited to experience Hades and our past games in this new format! If you get a chance to pick up a Steam Deck, we hope you enjoy playing our games on it.
Update: The preorder period for Nendoroid Zagreus has concluded. Thank you for your interest!
We're so excited that Zagreus is joining Good Smile Company's legendary line of Nendoroid super-cute collectibles! You can pre-order him from Good Smile's official web site.
The rebellious Prince of the Underworld comes with accessories such as a Bloodstone and Nectar bottle, plus the trusty Shield of Chaos (for when the Stygian Blade doesn't cut it).
Collaborating with Good Smile on this figure has been a fantastic experience, and we were thrilled to see the amazing response to the Twitter reveal this week! Several of us at Supergiant own no small number of Nendoroid figures based on some of our favorite characters from games and anime, so seeing Zagreus join this fray is like a dream come true. Besides, statues of famous Greek gods and heroes have been around for thousands of years... seems only fair that Zagreus should also exist in statue form!
