Our rogue-like dungeon crawler, Hades, goes deeper than ever with this latest Major Update, marking the first anniversary of the game's announcement and Early Access launch!

The Welcome to Hell Update features new ways to play, big game-wide improvements, and tons of new story events, making it a perfect time to jump back in -- or descend into the Underworld for the first time. Highlights include:

  • Experience new ways to play with Hell Mode, for seasoned veterans unafraid of death, and God Mode, for those who want a little extra help!

  • Get closer to the game's colorful cast of characters with the expanded Gift System & earn Legendary Keepsakes with spectacular new effects!

  • Find the infamous Fated List of Minor Prophecies, and fulfill a wide-ranging list of inevitabilities for fabulous rewards!

  • Authorize scores of New Underworld Renovations, altering the ever-shifting chambers of the Underworld more to your advantage!

  • New Text Language Translations! In a December 6 update, we added first-pass text translations in French, Italian, German, Spanish, Russian, Brazilian Portuguese, Korean, and Simplified Chinese!! We also have Polish coming soon, and are investigating Japanese.

  • Plus! New story events, boss fight variations, & many more surprises!

Hades is already a big feature-rich game, filled with thrilling action, dozens of colorful characters, and the rich worldbuilding Supergiant is known for. With the Welcome to Hell Update, it's even bigger and better than before, and comes one step closer to its full v1.0 launch slated for sometime in 2020.

Be sure to take a look at the updated Development Roadmap in the game client for a recap of all we've done this year, and a preview of what's in store!

Want a tour through many of the new features? Check out our dev stream:

Full patch notes are available here on our web site, in the game client, and our official Discord, where you can join a welcoming community of Hades players and Supergiant fans. Or... perhaps you'd like to hunker down for the next 20 minutes and listen to them, courtesy of the game's disembodied storyteller?!

We hope you love this new update, and thanks so much for all your support in 2019! You've inspired us to make Hades bigger and better than we even imagined, heading into this year!

Update 12/6/2019: Thank you to everyone who expressed interest in this job listing! At this time we're no longer seeking new applicants. Should we have any additional job openings in the future, we'll likely post about it here and via our Twitter feed.


Our small team is growing just a bit! We are seeking a talented generalist software engineer to port, extend, optimize, and maintain Hades and our proprietary code base across a variety of platforms. Our ideal candidate would relish the technical challenges inherent in cross-platform engineering, rendering, multi-threading, systems architecture, and optimization.

Requirements:

  • 2- or 4-year college Computer Science or Engineering degree or equivalent work experience

  • Credit on at least one commercial game project

  • Experience certifying and shipping a console or mobile game

  • Experience with multi-threading and rendering

  • Fluent in C/C++ and excellent math skills

  • Strong written and verbal, technical and non-technical communication skills

  • Local resident or willing to relocate to San Francisco area

Responsibilities:

  • Optimize our game engine for performance and compatibility with existing platforms

  • Help port our game engine to new or emerging platforms

  • Work with Quality Assurance to identify and fix performance, compatibility, and functional issues across different platforms

  • Implement new engine features, pipeline improvements, and tools on future projects in collaboration with the development team

What we offer:

  • Competitive compensation and medical benefits, including 401k

  • Work on a small, creative, high-performance team

  • Help architect and implement the underlying technology of Supergiant's current and future titles

To apply, please follow these instructions exactly:

  • Send your resume in the body of an email (no attachments please) with the subject line โ€œEngine Programmerโ€ to jobs@supergiantgames.com

  • Complete the questionnaire below and include it in the body of the e-mail

Questionnaire: Please answer the following questions as you might if responding to a colleague via email. Use your best judgment to answer as completely and concisely as possible. There is no minimum or maximum word count.

  1. Why do you want to work at Supergiant Games?

  2. What is a technical feature or project you are proud to have worked on, and why? What did you contribute to the project? Please describe how it works for a non-technical reader.

  3. Discuss your experience with an existing codebase and how you became familiar with it. Describe a feature or fix that you contributed to the project for a technical reader.

  4. When, if ever, is it appropriate to use a โ€œhackโ€?ย  Please describe a hack youโ€™ve used and why you chose to use it.

Thank you for your interest in working with us!

Get ready for our most game-changing Early Access update yet when next you delve into the Underworld of Hades!

The Superstar Update introduces a variety of new systems and improvements that will keep you battling out of hell in even more spectacular fashion -- all while living the Underworld life in style. Here are just some of the highlights:

- Unlock almighty Weapon Aspects, revealing legendary past incarnations of each of your weapons, along with powerful new properties.

- Brave the reworked Pact of Punishment, providing an all-new endgame challenge. Which nasty Conditions are you willing to accept to earn valuable Bounties?

- Meet star-crossed lovers Eurydice & Orpheus, and discover their all-too-tragic past... and see if you can help their future?

- New House cosmetics, resources, upgrades, & more! You can now decorate the House of Hades, or collect many rocking tracks for the new Music Stand.

For good measure, this update introduces a brand-new music piece, featuring the beautiful voice of longtime Supergiant Games collaborator, Ashley Barrett:

There are so many new fully-voiced story events, visual improvements, exciting new balance changes and upgrades that we think you'll agree this is our most jam-packed major update yet. Full patch notes are available here on our web site, in the game client, and our official Discord, where we invite you to join the conversation with many more players and Supergiant fans. Oh, and we also have then in highly-listenable, fully-recorded form:

Hope you enjoy, and keep letting us know what you think!

Update November 7, 2019: Our self-published version of Bastion is now available for iPhone and iPad! Get it here.


This fall, we'll be launching an updated version of the iPhone/iPad version of Bastion. This will affect existing customers of that version, so we wanted to let you know what to expect in advance. Here's what's going to happen, and look further down this post for in-depth Q&As:

1. The currently-available version of Bastion for iPhone/iPad, published by Warner Bros., will be delisted soon, in early November. Once delisted, it will no longer be updated or available for purchase.ย If you haveย alreadyย downloaded, it will remain on your device.

2. An updated version of the game, published by Supergiant Games, will be available at around the same time. This latest version has several enhancements:

  • Improved support for newer devices such as iPhone X and 11.

  • Simplified Chinese language option (set via your region setting).

  • The game is now free-to-try, just like the original Xbox LIVE Arcade classic!

After the trial levels, a one-time in-app purchase unlocks the full game. The in-app purchase is just $4.99. Although...

3. This updated version of Bastion will be FREE for a limited time, as part of our 10th anniversary celebration! We couldn't have come this far if not for the success of Bastion, and for all your support.


Bastion iOS Update - Q&As

You might have questions about some of these changes, so we wanted to answer them right here:

Q: Why is Bastion for iPhone/iPad being delisted soon? A: The reason is, the term of our distribution agreement with Warner Bros., our publishing partner for Bastion since we first launched the game in 2011, is expiring. (Back then, we didn't expect we'd still be supporting Bastion all these years later...!) Due to technical limitations, we cannot switch publishers for the existing app. Our only option was to work with Warner Bros. to delist the existing version, then publish the game ourselves. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience.

Q: What does it mean that your distribution agreement with Warner Bros. has expired? A: It simply means anything Bastion-related will now be published by us at Supergiant Games. We have self-published each of our games since Bastion, so we're happy to have all our titles under our umbrella. We're very grateful to our partners at Warner Bros. for all their support along the way.

Q: If I own the existing version for iPhone/iPad, will I get the version published by Supergiant Games automatically? A: No. You will have to download it as a new app. It will not appear as an update to the existing app.

To help ease this transition, and in light of our 10th anniversary, you will be able to get the full game unlock FOR FREE for a limited time. Simply download the new version (once it's available), and look for the one-time in-app purchase, which will cost $0 for the rest of the year. Afterward, it will be $4.99.

Q: Will my cloud save data transfer from the current version of Bastion to the version published by Supergiant Games? A: No. Due to technical limitations, unfortunately your cloud save data cannot be transferred between these versions. We apologize for the inconvenience.

Q: I wrote a customer review of Bastion for iPhone/iPad. Will it transfer to the new version? A: No. All the wonderful words of praise we've received over the years for Bastion for iPhone/iPad will unfortunately be removed when the app is delisted. We would be deeply grateful if you gave the new version a review once you've tried it. If you have a review up, please consider making a copy of the contents in case you want to repost it.

Q: Will my Game Center achievement progress transfer between versions? A: You probably know the answer by now, which unfortunately is No. On the other hand, you'll be able to earn all the Bastion achievements again in the version published by Supergiant Games.

Q: What's new and improved in this upcoming version of Bastion for iPhone/iPad? A: We've made a number of quality-of-life improvements to make sure Bastion runs great on the latest iOS devices. Changes include:

  • Improved support for newer devices such as iPhone X and 11

  • Simplified Chinese language option (set via your region setting)

  • The game is now free-to-try, just like the original Xbox LIVE Arcade classic!

  • Numerous bug fixes

Thank you for your patience and understanding as we make this transition! Bastion for iPhone/iPad is one of the most-played versions of any of our games from over the years, so we're doing everything we can to reduce the friction here as we bring our first game back into the fold here.

Q: What are the device and OS requirements for the upcoming version? A: Bastion requires a device with iOS 9.0 or later. The OS requirement is updated from previous versions of the game, so please note it means the updated version of the game will not work on older devices, including the original iPad, iPhone 4, and iPod Touch. If you wish to continue playing Bastion on these devices, please be sure you have the existing version of the game downloaded before it is delisted in early November.

Update Aug. 27: Please note one or more of the deals below have expired! Thank you for your interest, and we'll see you in 10 years (OK just kidding, we'll probably have more sales between now and then).


As part of our 10 Year Anniversary celebration, right now you can get amazing deals on our entire game catalogue, plus tons of merch in our online shop!

Here's a rundown of all the deals available right now:

* = North America only; we apologize for the inconvenience!

Plus, get our 10 Year Anniversary Poster and great deals on merch at our online shop!

Thanks so much for all the love and support for our first double-digits birthday, and we hope our games continue to bring you wonderful lasting memories for years to come.

We're really excited to announce that our rogue-like dungeon crawler Hades is coming to Steam Early Access on December 10! Check out our new 'Coming Soon' page for Hades on Steam, and hit the 'Add to your wishlist' button for a handy reminder once it's out.

About the game: Hadesย is a rogue-like dungeon crawler in which you defy the god of the dead as you hack and slash your way out of the Underworld of Greek myth.

We think it combines the best aspects of our previous games, including the fast-paced action of Bastion, the rich atmosphere and depth of Transistor, and the character-driven storytelling of Pyre. As the immortal Prince of the Underworld, you'll wield the powers and mythic weapons of Olympus as you battle out of hell, toward the surface, growing stronger and unraveling more of the story with each unique escape attempt.

About Early Access: Early Access means you can play Hades while it's still in active development. We expect to be in Early Access till sometime in the second half of 2020.

We designed Hades as an Early Access game from the ground up. Our foremost goal was to see if we could create something great in partnership with our community -- a game that was true to our values about design, worldbuilding, and storytelling, and could naturally evolve based on the feedback we'd get along the way. Every aspect of the game, from its modular structure to its approach to narrative, flow from this idea.

We've shipped six Major Updates so far, more than doubling the amount of content since launch. And, we're growing accustomed to living in this new world of developing our game out in the open (rather than in secrecy as we've done in the past). In December, we'll be ready to expand the game's audience in Early Access by coming to Steam. We wanted to get the word out as soon as we nailed down the date.

Thank you to our early adopters! To all of you who've participated in our Early Access thus far: Thank you so much for your help in getting us to this point. Your feedback in our official Discord and beyond has been vital, and we hope you've been enjoying the story of Hades as it unfolds. As a small token of our appreciation to those who've been playing, we'll be giving you aย complimentary digital copy of theย Hades Original Soundtrackย --ย already jam-packedย with blood-pumping tracks, and growing with each Major Update! Eligibility:ย You simply need to have purchasedย Hadesย on the Epic Games storeย by October 15, 2019. We'll email you how to redeem the soundtrack once it's ready! Until then!

Somehow, 10 years have flown by since our studio co-founders, Amir Rao and Gavin Simon, left their jobs at Electronic Arts in Los Angeles, hunkered down in the living room of a house in San Jose, and started working on our first game, Bastion. Since then, we moved to San Francisco, and proceeded to create Transistor, Pyre, and most recently, Hades.

Our games have sold more than 10 million copies on more than 10 different platforms, and the success of each one made the next one possible. Though each of our games is quite different, they all share a common goal: to spark your imagination like the games you played as a kid. Through the years, we've stayed small, stayed independent, and stuck together as a team -- in fact, all seven of the original members of the Bastion team are all still here, working together in their respective roles. Above all, we've been extraordinarily lucky that our games have found such a big and supportive audience.


PAX West Celebration! At PAX West in Seattle, our team will be there to reflect on this milestone in our studio's history. We really hope you can join us! Here are some of the highlights to expect:

Special Events: We have a couple of incredible special events in store!

  • Supergiant in Concert: Experience a one-of-a-kind live performance celebrating 10 years of Supergiant Games, with songs from Bastion, Transistor, Pyre, and Hades!

    Featuring our composer and audio director, Darren Korb, longtime collaborator and vocalist Ashley Barrett, and the Supergiant Orchestra conducted by award-winning composer Austin Wintory. @8:30pm, Saturday Aug. 31, Main Theatre (aka Paramount Theatre)

Booth Location: We'll be at PAX all Labor Day weekend in booth #1515 -- the exact spot where we first debuted Bastion as part of the PAX 10, back in 2010.

What We're Bringing: This is the first time we'll have Hades playable at PAX!

  • We'll have many stations for you to come try the game and see how we're doing in Early Access.

  • We'll also have a 'High-Heat Challenge' demo station, where experienced players can win prizes if they can get far enough on a higher difficulty!

  • We'll have some brand-new merchandise on offer, such as our 10-Year Anniversary Poster featuring original artwork by our art director, Jen Zee, and a PAX-exclusive Hades T-shirt.

  • Our whole team will be there! Stop by and say hello.

From All of Us @ Supergiant Games, Thank You!!

Being able to create games on our own terms has been an extraordinary privilege. We look forward to many more years of making games together here; games that are worthy of your time, and that leave you with a lasting and positive impression. We really appreciate your support.

Hades is in Early Access, which means we're actively working on it based on our plans and your feedback. We expect to keep adding features, characters, weapons, foes, powers, environments, and more, while expanding the story and fine-tuning all aspects of the experience.

Note: ๐Ÿ“ข indicates a change inspired by community feedback! Our latest patch notes are below:

Early Access Patch 031 - October 17, 2019

This patch ties up some loose ends in the Superstar Update as we set our sights on our next Major Update, coming in December. It'll cap off a full year of updates, and we plan to make it a big one. Until then!


Boons & Blessings

๐Ÿ“ข Support Fire (Artemis): now upgradeable using Poms


Daedalus Hammer Upgrades

๐Ÿ“ข Rapid Shot (Bow): you now can hold the attack command to autofire; now called Flurry Shot


Foes & Encounters

๐Ÿ“ข Reduced how many Crawlers can appear in tougher encounters in the Temple of Styx


Level Design & Environments

• Minor fixes and improvements to some chambers


Art & Visual FX

• Visual touch-ups for the Bone Hydra
• Additional visual touches to Asphodel chamber enter-and-exit sequence
• Improvements to the Shield's Throw special recovery animation while using alternate Aspects
• Updated textures for the Blade's Nemesis Aspect
• Added passive visual effect to the Music Stand


Menus & UI

• Improved feedback for some states of the Pact screen


Music & SFX

• Added some sound effects to the Bone Hydra encounter
• Updated some sound effects for the Weapon Aspects screen
• Other minor additions, fixes, and improvements


Voice & Narrative

• Added a narrative event for Eurydice
• Added some new Zagreus voice lines for certain Pact, Daedalus Hammer, and Bounty interactions
• Additional minor fixes and improvements to some narrative events and contextual voice lines


Miscellaneous

๐Ÿ“ข Recovered the missing Infernal Contract that Lord Hades is always holding in his portrait
• Persuaded an occasional pack of Shades in the House of Hades to move away from the Music Stand
• Unified text descriptions for Boons and upgrades with Flurry effects
• Other minor text changes


Bug Fixes

๐Ÿ“ข Fixed interaction between Athena's Holy Shield and Blinding Flash
๐Ÿ“ข Fixed Divine Dash (Athena) not always applying critical damage correctly
๐Ÿ“ข Fixed an issue where a Splitter's projectile attack could vanish after she was slain
๐Ÿ“ข Fixed some attack interactions with the Final Boss
• Fixed Brimstone satellite crystals sometimes leaving orbit
• Fixed a visual issue with Rocket Bomb (Daedaulus - Rail) and the weapon's alternate Aspects
• Other minor fixes


Quote of the Patch

"...while Orpheus thoughtlessly looked back, all unbelieving his Eurydice restored to him and following, he lost his singing's recompense; and she had come to the verge of life only to die once more."
~Hercules Oetaeus (Lucius Annaeus Seneca; F. Justus Miller translation)



Early Access Patch 030 - October 15, 2019

This patch makes additional improvements and fixes to last week's Superstar Update based on what we've been seeing. Expect one more smaller patch before we switch to working on our next Major Update.


Weapons, Aspects, & Powers

๐Ÿ“ข Heart-Seeking Bow: reduced disable duration while loading Bloodstone ammo
๐Ÿ“ข Shield of Chaos: improved Bull Rush input buffering after the Throw special
๐Ÿ“ข Heart-Seeking Bow (Zagreus): now adds chance of critical attack (instead of power-shot window)
๐Ÿ“ข Heart-Seeking Bow (Hera): reduced disable duration while loading Bloodstone ammo
๐Ÿ“ข Eternal Spear (Achilles): you now can retrieve the thrown spear normally, or with Raging Rush
• Adamant Rail (Hestia): increased damage for empowered shot


Boons & Blessings

• Double Strike (Zeus): reduced bonus chance of effect after using Poms
• Tempest Flourish (Poseidon): reduced knock-away effect from the Bow's Volley special
• Exit Wounds (Artemis): now requires one additional related Artemis Boon before it is offered
• Lightning Rod (Zeus x Artemis): no longer upgradeable using Poms
• Heart Rend (Aphrodite x Artemis): no longer upgradeable using Poms


Daedalus Hammer Upgrades

• Super Nova (Blade): reduced damage
• Cruel Thrust (Blade): increased damage and critical chance
๐Ÿ“ข Flurry Blade (Blade): you now can hold the attack command to strike repeatedly
• Relentless Barrage (Bow): reduced number of bonus projectiles
• Explosive Return (Shield): no longer applies Flourish Boon or similar effects during the blast
• Extending Jab (Spear): increased damage
๐Ÿ“ข Inescapable Blast (Rail): increased slowing effect on foes


Foes & Encounters

• Slightly increased frequency of Thanatos encounters in Asphodel
๐Ÿ“ข Voidstone: no longer appears in Erebus challenge chambers
๐Ÿ“ข The Minotaur: fixed some instances where he was dealing more damage than expected


Keepsakes & Items

• Bone Hourglass (Charon): increased Well of Charon effect durations for each rank
• Shattered Shackle (Sisyphus): increased bonus damage from rubble at ranks 2 and 3
• Evergreen Acorn (Eurydice): reduced instances of damage absorption for each rank; no longer loses charges to attacks that would have caused no damage


Level Design & Environments

• Minor fixes and improvements to some chambers


Art & Visual FX

• Further visual improvements to some Asphodel chambers
• Further presentation improvements when leaving or entering Asphodel chambers
• Updated visual FX for Zagreus run-stop animations for the Blade, Bow, Shield, and Spear
• Updated animation for Chthonic Keys
• Updated visual FX for Exit Wounds (Artemis)
• Updated art for Pact Exit in the Courtyard
• Other minor visual fixes and improvements


Menus & UI

• Game screen now is dimmed while the game is paused
• When unlocking Weapon Aspects, always auto-equip the new Aspect
• Music track names for the Music Stand can now appear hidden before the track is unlocked
• Improved legibility of repeated 'Backstab!' combat notifications
• Slightly reduced size of standard damage numbers
• Several text clarifications and other minor changes


Music & SFX

• Minor fixes and mix improvements


Voice & Narrative

• Additional scripting fixes to Eurydice & Orpheus story subplot
• Added several miscellaneous narrative events for Eurydice & Orpheus
๐Ÿ“ข Fixes and updated requirements for some narrative events
• Fixes and tuning to some contextual voice events


Miscellaneous

• Minor improvements to some Shades milling about the House of Hades
• Skelly no longer rudely talks over Zagreus when starting a new escape attempt


Bug Fixes

• Fixed the Rail's Hestia Aspect empowered shot applying damage twice from one Dash Attack
๐Ÿ“ข Fixed an issue causing Support Fire (Artemis) to never be offered
๐Ÿ“ข Fixed Hermes Boons unintentionally being affected by Eurydice's treats
๐Ÿ“ข Fixed Exalted Brightswords sometimes being able to destroy the Rail's Bombard projectiles
๐Ÿ“ข Fixed Final Boss not canceling out of certain attacks upon defeat
๐Ÿ“ข Fixed some conversation alert icons not clearing as expected
• Fixed certain Eurydice narrative events unintentionally being able to play more than once
• Fixed 'Bounty Earned' messages showing current total Heat, rather than target Heat for Bounties
๐Ÿ“ข Fixed an issue causing 'Death and I' to never be offered for the Music Stand
• Other minor fixes


Quote of the Patch

"'One sole condition yet
Upon the boon is set:
Let him not turn his eyes
To view his hard-won prize,
Till they securely pass
The gates of Hell.' Alas!"
~The Consolation of Philosophy (Boethius; H.R. James translation)



Early Access Patch 029 - October 10, 2019

We're thrilled by the rousing response to the Superstar Update!! We're following up with some improvements and fixes based on initial observations and feedback. We'll patch again in the coming days.


Weapons, Aspects, & Powers

• Raised the max level of the Zagreus Aspect for each weapon to 5
๐Ÿ“ข Stygian Blade: you can move a bit during the Nova special preattack sequence
• Heart-Seeking Bow (Hera): reduced spread of Bloodstones from loaded shots
• Adamant Rail (Eris): reduced damage bonus after absorbing a Bombard blast
• Adamant Rail (Hestia): empowered shot now activates only from a manual reload


Boons & Blessings

• Quick Reload (Artemis): reduced effectiveness
• Nasty Dash (Dionysus): removed minor damage this was doing on impact
๐Ÿ“ข Eclipse (Chaos): now also boosts Darkness drops from boss foes


Foes & Encounters

๐Ÿ“ข Soul Catcher: projectiles should be slightly easier to hit
• The Minotaur: updated some attack timings (he should be slightly more effective)
๐Ÿ“ข Final Boss: beam attacks should interact with obstacles more reliably; skull ammo objects can now be targeted by more abilities


Level Design & Environments

• Minor fixes and improvements to some chambers


Art & Visual FX

• Added unique visuals for each weapon equip spot in the Courtyard to go with each Weapon Aspect
• Updated textures and visual FX for some Weapon Aspects
• Added unique menu images for each Weapon Aspect
• Added visual FX for when your current weapon phases out in some Zagreus animations
• Additional visual improvements to some Asphodel chambers
• Additional presentation improvements when leaving or entering Asphodel chambers
• Other minor visual fixes and improvements


Menus & UI

• Added presentation when collecting Bounties
• In the Pact screen, current Heat is no longer shown in two different places
๐Ÿ“ข Ambrosia now shown in addition to other resources during escape attempts
• The 'Slay to Retrieve' hint for lodged Ammo will no longer display on bosses
• Added custom hint about retrieving ammo while using the Blade's Poseidon Aspect
• Added unique tutorial objectives in the Courtyard while using certain Weapon Aspects
• Minor text changes; other minor fixes and improvements


Music & SFX

• Updated sound effects for certain Weapon Aspects
• Minor fixes with the new Music Stand


Voice & Narrative

• Added narrative events with certain characters (including Hades, Orpheus, and Skelly)
• Added new Zagreus, Hades, and Skelly voice events for various gameplay contexts
• Added new Storyteller events for successfully clearing runs
• Updated requirements for some narrative events
• Fixes and tuning to some contextual voice events


Bug Fixes

• Fixed several issues causing the Eurydice & Orpheus story subplot to not advance correctly
๐Ÿ“ข Fixed collision and blocking issues with the Chaos Shield while using Charged Shot (Daedalus)
๐Ÿ“ข Fixed instances where the Spear's Achilles Aspect could be used to escape map boundaries
• Fixed an issue preventing manual recovery of the Spear's Achilles Aspect Throw special
• Fixed an issue causing the Rail's Hestia Aspect empowered-shot ability to transfer to other Aspects
• Fixed interactions between the Rail's Hestia Aspect and Spread Fire (Daedalus)
• Fixed interactions between the Rail's Hestia Aspect and Explosive Fire (Daedalus)
• Fixed some visual issues with the Rail's Aspect animations
๐Ÿ“ข Fixed Tisiphone's Extreme Measures (Pact) support attacks being active during chamber changes
๐Ÿ“ข Fixed lava being blockable with the Chaos Shield
๐Ÿ“ข Fixed Final Boss encounter not ending when expected if summoned urns were still present
๐Ÿ“ข Fixed a rare crash in the Final Boss encounter
๐Ÿ“ข Heat difficulty will reset in older saves that previously could get stuck at high difficulty
๐Ÿ“ข Fixed an issue where the Tight Deadline (Pact) timer would expire prematurely in Elysium
• Fixed an issue causing the Tight Deadline (Pact) timer to remain visible after defeat
๐Ÿ“ข Fixed an unbreakable urn in the final chamber of Asphodel
• Fixed some visual issues with the effect for Evergreen Acorn (Keepsake)
• Fixed rare performance issues in the Pact screen
• Fixed various other minor UI issues with the Pact screen
• Fixed Duo Boons showing up as Legendary in the Pool of Purging
• Fixed an issue where Infernal Troves requiring Skeleton Keys were not showing a lock indicator
• Fixed some menu title text being off center
• Other minor fixes


Quote of the Patch

'[Orpheus] became so adept at music that his playing and singing charmed wild animals and caused stones and trees to follow him when he wished.'
~Crowell's Handbook of Classical Mythology (E. Tripp)



Early Access Patch 028: The SUPERSTAR Update - October 8, 2019

Welcome to our seventh Major Update, which we think is our most game-changing one yet! Due to the number of new systems and features here, we're expecting to follow up on this initial launch with several smaller patches. We'll be watching your feedback closely as we go. Hope you enjoy it!


Highlights

• Weapon Aspects: unlock specially-enchanted alternate forms for each of your different weapons
• Pact of Punishment, 2nd Edition: an overhauled Pact is central to a newly revised endgame
• Eurydice: the muse of Orpheus is out there, somewhere; can you find her?
• New Resources: look for Gemstones, Diamonds, & Chthonic Keys as you make your escape
• House Contractor: unlock a variety of new cosmetic items for the House of Hades, such as the...
• Music Stand: unlock music pieces heard throughout the game, & change the music in the House
• Underworld Renovations: look for new & improved visuals in the House of Hades & all of Asphodel
• New Song: listen for the melodious voice of our longtime musical collaborator, Ashley Barrett!


General Gameplay

• Added Weapon Aspects, revised Pact of Punishment, and House Contractor systems
• Heat: removed as a collectible resource (part of the Pact rework; you will receive 5 Darkness for each Heat lost)
• Gemstones and Diamonds: newly added resource used with House Contractor and Wretched Broker
• Chthonic Keys: newly added resource used with Weapon Aspects and some other interactions
• Your first boss clear with each weapon earns you a Bounty, i.e. a Chthonic Key or Diamond
๐Ÿ“ข Your Death Defiance effects remove any poison effects


Weapons & Powers

• Each weapon can now be permanently upgraded in the Courtyard, once you reach a certain point
• Stygian Blade: reworked Nova special; updated Dash Attack (new timing and animation)
๐Ÿ“ข Shield of Chaos: updated Dash attack (new animation); improvements to input buffering
๐Ÿ“ข Eternal Spear: adjusted Attack combo timing and damage; updated Dash attack (new timing and animation); Throw special now staggers foes


Boons & Blessings

• Zeus' Aid: reduced damage
๐Ÿ“ข Athena's Aid: increased duration; Greater Call duration multiplier reduced to compensate
๐Ÿ“ข True Shot (Artemis): added a chance to deal Critical damage
• Hunter's Mark (Artemis): dealing Critical damage to foes with the 'Marked' Status Curse clears the effect
• Exit Wounds (Artemis): reduced power scaling from improved rarity
• Fully Loaded (Artemis): rarity set to Legendary
• Support Fire (Artemis): no longer Legendary; effect now scales with rarity
• Lightning Phalanx (Zeus x Athena): reduced max. number of bounces and bounce range
• Shatter Shot (Aphrodite): reduced power scaling from improved rarity
• Life Affirmation (Aphrodite): slightly reduced power level
๐Ÿ“ข Rapid Cast (Hermes): now also increases Cast homing effects to compensate for the speed boost
๐Ÿ“ข Stabbing (Chaos): cut from game (Master Chaos has decided not to punish you simply for dashing)
๐Ÿ“ข Boons with 'Revenge' effects now trigger when your Death Defiance effects activate


Daedalus Hammer Upgrades

• The following upgrades are no longer offered: Empowering Nova (Blade), Mirage Flight (Shield), Heavy Slug (Rail), and Invigorating Blast (Rail); their spirits live on in some of the new Weapon Aspects
• Piercing Wave (Blade): newly added! A long-range wave with every slash
• Charged Shot (Shield): newly added! Your Bull Rush fires a projectile instead
๐Ÿ“ข Multi Skewer (Spear): now pierces through the last foe it hits
• Rocket Bomb (Rail): newly added! Fire a rocket instead of bombarding
• Inescapable Blast (Rail): newly added! Foes are slowed while targeted for bombardment


Foes & Encounters

• You can no longer run into multiple mini-boss encounters in a region in a single run
• Increased the size of Elysium by one chamber
๐Ÿ“ข Trial of the Gods encounters can now take place in Elysium
๐Ÿ“ข Reduced max. types of Elite foes that can appear in Thanatos encounters
๐Ÿ“ข Erebus challenge chambers now contain Champion foes (tougher than Elite foes)
• Champion foes no longer drop money
• Megaera and the Furies: learned some new tricks via the Pact...
• Bone Hydra: slightly reduced health; updated ranged flurry attack; learned some new tricks via the Pact...
• Exalted Longspear: now leap off impassable terrain
๐Ÿ“ข Flame Wheels: groups spawn in quicker succession
๐Ÿ“ข Soul Catcher: reduced appearance rate in Elysium; reduced Elite health; no longer completely immobile and now susceptible to knock-away effects
๐Ÿ“ข The Minotaur: updated some animations and attack timings
๐Ÿ“ข Theseus: updated some animations and attack timings
๐Ÿ“ข Gigantic Vermin: poison puddles expire faster
๐Ÿ“ข Final Boss: reduced damage; reduced health; reduced tracking of homing attack; reduced health of some Champion summons; summoned urns now invulnerable while spawning; overall, still a pain


Keepsakes & Items

• Wells of Charon no longer offer Bedroom Decor items; the House Contractor has a monopoly on them
• Evergreen Acorn (Eurydice): newly added! Take no damage from boss attacks for some number of hits
• Old Spiked Collar (Cerberus): slightly reduced power level
๐Ÿ“ข Black Shawl (Nyx): increased power level
๐Ÿ“ข Lucky Tooth (Skelly): increased power level
๐Ÿ“ข Lambent Plume (Hermes): tuned fast-clear durations for some encounter types
• Charon now offers one of the two new rare resources for sale in the Temple of Styx


Pact of Punishment

• Overhauled the system; now linked to Bounties (look for more details when you first get to it)
• Rescaled Heat as a measure of difficulty (1 unit now is equivalent to about 5 units before)
• Reworked and renamed the various Conditions
• Middle Management: newly added! Raises number of Elite foes in mini-boss encounters
• Tight Deadline: newly added! Gives you a limited amount of time to clear each region
• Heightened Security: newly added! Boosts damage from traps
• Underworld Customs: newly added! Forces you to purge a Boon as you leave each region
• Extreme Measures: newly added! Influences the final battle in Tartarus
• Snake Oil: newly added! Influences the final battle in Asphodel


Level Design & Environments

• Added two new chambers in Asphodel
๐Ÿ“ข Added a Pool of Purging to the final chamber in each region
๐Ÿ“ข Added several new Erebus challenge chamber variants
• Made some renovations to the House of Hades (others are ongoing)
• Other minor fixes and improvements to various chambers


Art & Visual FX

• Updated visuals all throughout Asphodel
• Updated visuals in the House of Hades
• Updated portrait for Orpheus
• Updated visuals for the Wretched Broker
• Updated visuals for wretched shades and spirits in various environments
• Updated visuals in first chamber of Elysium
• Added unique Zagreus run animations with the Blade, Spear, and Bow, and other weapon details
• Added some animations for Megaera and the Furies to accompany their aforementioned new tricks
• Updated textures for Alecto and Tisiphone
• Updated some of the visuals for the Bone Hydra
• Updated some animations for Theseus and The Minotaur
• Updated various visual FX in Final Boss encounter, including the Status Curse effect
• Improvements to the look of the Exalted once separated from their weapons
๐Ÿ“ข Updated UI and visuals for Death Defiance effects
๐Ÿ“ข Increased transparency of Dionysus' Festive Fog effects
๐Ÿ“ข Improved feedback for the deactivated state of the Mandragora Cure Pools in the Temple of Styx
• Removed slight animation from Dionysus and Ares portraits (due to various issues; they still blink, though)
• Unified the look of Elite foes' armor outline
• Updated main menu based on new Major Update (including our studio logo, for our 10th anniversary!)
• Other minor visual changes, fixes, and improvements


Menus & UI

• Updated Health Bar UI for foes
• Updated visual FX for Boon selection
• Underworld Map presentation when traveling between regions now shows earned Bounties
• Added new Death Defiance UI indicators based on the source of the effect
• The backing for interact prompts now scales with the prompt
• Added alternate dialogue prompt for key early-game character conversations that unlock new systems (specifically, the Codex from Achilles and Mirror respeccing from Nyx)
๐Ÿ“ข The Fallen Warrior's HydraLite Gold premium good now shows your life total in the tooltip
๐Ÿ“ข The warning pop-up for deleting save data defaults to Cancel instead of OK
๐Ÿ“ข Text clarifications to some Boons and upgrades
• Other minor fixes, changes, and improvements


Music & SFX

• 'Good Riddance': added new music track, featuring the voice of Ashley Barrett!
• Added various new sound effects for the new resources, systems, and other contexts
๐Ÿ“ข Adamant Rail now has a distinct fire sound while low on ammo
๐Ÿ“ข Battle emotes from Zagreus and others now affected by SFX Volume rather than Voice Volume
• Minor fixes and mix improvements


Voice & Narrative

• Added many narrative events with characters (including Eurydice, Orpheus, Hades, and Achilles)
• Added many new Zagreus voice events for various gameplay contexts
• Added Codex entries for Eurydice, Gemstones, Diamonds, and Chthonic Keys
• Added to Codex entries for each of the Infernal Arms
๐Ÿ“ข Added specific captions for ambient voice lines from the Fallen Warrior
• Updated requirements for some narrative events
• Fixes and tuning to some contextual voice events


Miscellaneous

• Updated Development Roadmap to reflect our plans for our next Major Update, and beyond
• The Wretched Broker now offers additional resource trades, and has fixed all his prices...
• Some later Mirror of Night upgrades now require Chthonic Keys
• Skelly: increased health (stationary jumping can be an effective form of cardiovascular exercise)
• Rescaled Heat requirements to earn Skelly's unlockables
• Credits: Eurydice added to voice cast; other updates, including new Community Contributors!


Bug Fixes

๐Ÿ“ข Fixed issues with some Zeus lightning effects not taking upgrades correctly
๐Ÿ“ข Fixed an issue causing Vicious Cycle (Ares) to ramp up damage more than expected
• Fixed Positive Outlook (Dionysus) not gaining benefits from more than one Pom of Power
๐Ÿ“ข Fixed Spent Spirit (Athena x Aphrodite) not affecting accelerating projectiles
• Fixed Heart Rend (Artemis x Aphrodite) unintentionally applying additional chance for Critical damage
๐Ÿ“ข Fixed an issue sometimes causing Chaos Gates and Infernal Gates to be invisible
๐Ÿ“ข Fixed an issue sometimes causing parts of the Health UI to not show correctly
• Fixed Skull-Crushers being susceptible to Backstab damage from the front
๐Ÿ“ข Fixed issues related to vanquishing Theseus and the Minotaur in close succession
๐Ÿ“ข Fixed an issue causing Gigantic Vermin poison puddles to not always clear after encounters
• Fixed an issue where you could build up your God Gauge by hitting pillars while fighting the Final Boss
๐Ÿ“ข Many other minor fixes


Quote of the Patch

'There remained but little more to climb till they would touch earth's surface, when in fear he might again lose her, and anxious for another look at her, he turned his eyes so he could gaze upon her.'
~Metamorphoses, Book 10: Orpheus & Eurydice (Ovid; B. Moore translation)



Patch Notes Archive

For patch notes from the previous Major Update, check out The Big Bad Update Patch Notes (August, 2019).
Hades is in Early Access, which means we're actively working on it based on our plans and your feedback. We expect to keep adding features, characters, weapons, foes, powers, environments, and more, while expanding the story and fine-tuning all aspects of the experience.

Note: ๐Ÿ“ข indicates a change inspired by community feedback! Our patch notes for the Big Bad Update are below:

Early Access Patch 027 - August 13, 2019

This patch makes further improvements and balance changes following last week's Big Bad Update. Barring any unexpected issues, we will now be focusing on our next Major Update. Thanks for playing!


General Gameplay

๐Ÿ“ข After using Mandragora Cure Pools in the Temple of Styx, you now are briefly immune to poison
• Slightly increased frequency of Valuable Urns in Styx (it is still less than before the last change)
• Slightly increased frequency of Wells of Charon and Pools of Purging


Weapons & Powers

๐Ÿ“ข Stygian Blade: increased damage radius of Nova special (it is still less than before the last change)
๐Ÿ“ข Shield of Chaos: basic attack knocks foes away again (we and many of you liked it better this way)


Boons & Blessings

• Poseidon's knock-away effects re-scaled (they no longer scale in intensity at higher rarity levels)


Foes & Encounters

๐Ÿ“ข The Minotaur: slightly reduced health; reduced speed boost while enraged
๐Ÿ“ข Theseus: slightly reduced health; reduced speed boost while enraged
๐Ÿ“ข Snakestone: reduced tracking speed (it is still greater than before the last change)
๐Ÿ“ข Satyr Cultist: attack no longer staggers you
๐Ÿ“ข Final Boss: now deletes your save progress if you lose (just kidding; in actually, the Final Boss now has reduced damage and health, plus other changes that should reduce the sheer difficulty)


Keepsakes & Items

๐Ÿ“ข Lucky Tooth: increased healing to better align with the recent change to Death Defiance effects


Level Design & Environments

๐Ÿ“ข Minor fixes and improvements to some chambers


Art & Visual FX

• Improvements to visual effects and death animation for Final Boss
• Added death animation for Bother
• Updated look of Styx Saw Blade Trap
• Updated look of depleted Mandragora Cure Pools
• Other minor changes and improvements


Menus & UI

• Minor fixes and improvements to God Gauge UI


Music & SFX

• Added ambient sounds to many Temple of Styx chambers
• Minor sound effects updates for Final Boss encounter
• Removed expiration warning sounds for Greater Calls with an instant effect
• Other minor SFX changes and improvements


Voice & Narrative

• Minor additions, fixes, and tuning to some contextual voice lines
• Minor updates to requirements for some narrative events


Miscellaneous

• Improved on-hit feedback for Max-Gauge Aphrodite's Aid
• Improved feedback when using Artemis' Aid
• Added more variety to the message when circumventing a certain multi-headed obstacle in Styx
• Updated feedback when using the Fountain in the Styx Satyr Storage Chamber


Bug Fixes

• Fixed Theseus sometimes using his 'Bull Horn' combo attack after the Minotaur is defeated
• Fixed an issue with Spent Spirit (Athena x Aphrodite) giving Theseus more than one spear
• Fixed the sound when targeted by sniping attacks sometimes lingering longer than expected
• Fixed an issue where menu highlights sometimes vanished when closing and opening a menu
• Fixed an issue in 'Trial of the Gods' where foes blessed by Athena could damage you after being slain
• Fixed a minor camera issue entering the main hub in the Temple of Styx
• Minor text fixes
• Other minor fixes


Quote of the Patch

'Now [I came] to bid farewell to Zagreus and to his sire, the hospitaler.'
~Fragments (Aeschylus; H. Weir Smyth translation)


Early Access Patch 026 - August 8, 2019

Thank you for the warm response to the Big Bad Update! This follow-up patch fine-tunes various aspects, and makes balance changes based on what we've seen so far. We'll patch again in the coming days.


General Gameplay

๐Ÿ“ข Slightly increased minimum chamber length of each Temple of Styx Satyr Tunnel
๐Ÿ“ข Foes in Temple of Styx mini-chambers take slightly longer to attack when you first enter
• Slightly reduced frequency of Valuable Urns in Temple of Styx
• Slightly reduced money drops on foes in Temple of Styx


Weapons & Powers

• Stygian Blade: reduced damage radius of Nova special
• Shield of Chaos: basic attack no longer knocks foes away


Boons & Blessings

• Zeus' Aid: reduced duration of Max Gauge Bonus
• Poseidon's Aid: reduced duration, increased damage
• Athena's Aid: reduced duration, reduced power level of Rare and Epic rarity
• Aphrodite's Aid: reworked Max Gauge Bonus; now deals significant damage
• Dionysus' Aid: reduced duration of Max Gauge Bonus
• Thunder Dash (Zeus): reduced damage
๐Ÿ“ข Last Stand (Athena): reduced healing; now offered only once you have at least one Athena Boon
๐Ÿ“ข Deathless Stand (Athena): now offered only once you have at least one Athena Boon
• Life Affirmation (Aphrodite): increased power level


Daedalus Hammer Upgrades

• Flurry Blade (Blade): increased damage
• Dashing Wallop (Shield): reduced damage; adjusted hitbox
• Pulverizing Blow (Shield): removed the property 'no longer knocks foes away'
• Spread Fire (Rail): removed penalty to max. ammo


Foes & Encounters

• Megagorgon: now vulnerable to knock-away effects
• Tisiphone: slightly reduced hitbox on her melee combo to align with the graphic
• Gigantic Vermin: increased damage, increased attack-start range
• Bother: increased damage, increased damage radius
• Snakestone: increased damage, increased tracking speed
• Satyr Cultist: attack now deals a bit of physical damage
• Final Boss: increased damage of various moves; reduced blast speed of shockwave attack; reduced tracking of homing attack; beam attack now destroys rubble; various other adjustments


Level Design & Environments

๐Ÿ“ข Miscellaneous fixes and improvements to various Temple of Styx chambers
๐Ÿ“ข Minor fixes and improvements to other chambers


Art & Visual FX

• Added and updated visual effects for Final Boss
• Updated some animations for Final Boss
• Updated art in various Temple of Styx chambers
• Added visual effect for Gigantic Vermin and Crawler on-spawn attack
• Added visual effect for when Lightning Rod (Zeus x Artemis) strikes foes
• Other minor changes and improvements


Music & SFX

• Adjusted audio mix in Final Boss encounter
• Added new sounds for Cerberus in Temple of Styx
• Minor updates to Olympian Call audio feedback
• Other minor changes, fixes, and mix improvements


Voice & Narrative

• Added more voice lines to Final Boss
• Added more Zagreus voice lines for various gameplay contexts in Temple of Styx
• Added new 'Remembrance' event variants and adjusted some of their requirements
• Fixed or updated requirements for some narrative events from the previous patch
• Fixes and tuning to some contextual voice events


Bug Fixes

๐Ÿ“ข Fixed various issues in Final Boss encounter
• Fixed an issue sometimes causing the Final Boss Health Bar to not display properly
• Fixed foes in Temple of Styx being vulnerable during their spawn sequence
• Fixed a rare issue where the Minotaur would not spawn in his chamber
• Fixed a rare issue where 'killing' Skelly made him appear in the next chamber, and bad things happened
๐Ÿ“ข Fixed backward-compatiblity crash with certain Chaos Boons
๐Ÿ“ข Fixed a rare issue where you could not progress after earning a Healing Chamber Reward
• Fixed various graphical sorting issues
• Fixed ambient audio not playing consistently from fountains
• Minor text fixes
• Other minor fixes


Quote of the Patch

'...she bare a second, a monster not to be overcome and that may not be described, Cerberus who eats raw flesh, the brazen-voiced hound of Hades, fifty-headed, relentless and strong.'
~Theogony (Hesiod; H. G. Evelyn-White translation)


Early Access Patch 025: The BIG BAD Update - August 6, 2019

Welcome to our sixth Major Update, where at last you can rise to the very top of the Underworld and face what awaits! We've packed a lot into this one, so we'll be keeping a close eye on your feedback and making follow-up changes for several days before we change focus to our next big update.


Highlights

• Temple of Styx: an all-new, labyrinthine biome awaits at the very edge of the Underworld
• Final Battle: there is no escape from the Underworld; at least not without a fight
• Sinister New Foes: beware of Gigantic Vermin, Satyr Cultists, and more; plus deadly new traps!
• Wrath Rework: now you can call upon divine aid from Olympus much more often during battle
• Pool of Purging: rid yourself of the occasional unwanted Boon, in exchange for some coin
• New Boons & 'Duo' Boons: the Olympians have a slew of powerful, new blessings on offer
• New Story Events: more of the Underworld Prince's story unfolds if you can reach the Temple
• New Music: not one but two blood-boiling new tracks to accompany the new setting


General Gameplay

๐Ÿ“ข Boss foes switch between phases faster (their invulnerability periods are shorter)
๐Ÿ“ข Knock-away effects now work against boss foes
๐Ÿ“ข 'Trial of the Gods': spurned gods' Boons no longer have reduced rarity; they may offer 'Exchange' Boons for Boons from the other god
• Slightly reduced the length of each biome (since completing a run now takes longer than before)
• Increased healing from Death Defiance effects
• After clearing Encounters, Chamber doors should unlock slightly faster than before
• Pool of Purging: newly added! Look for these in chambers from time to time
• Increased value of Charon's Obol Chamber Rewards and gifts from Sisyphus
• Wall Slam damage scales up in each successive biome
๐Ÿ“ข Health pick-ups no longer block projectiles


Weapons & Powers

• Heart-Seeking Bow: increased damage of main Attack (Dash Attack is unchanged)
• Shield of Chaos: returns sooner after the Throw special if there are no other foes near it
• Various improvements and fixes to input buffering


Boons & Blessings

• Reworked and renamed Wrath and all Wrath Boons: now you can Call for Olympian aid more often, or use your entire God Gauge for an ultra-powered effect like before
• Billowing Strength (Zeus): newly added!
• Thunder Dash (Zeus): normalized base power level
• Tempest Strike (Poseidon): slightly reduced power level
• Tempest Flourish (Poseidon): slightly reduced power level
• Divine Strike (Athena): slightly increased power level
• Proud Bearing (Athena): increased power level
• Heartbreak Strike (Aphrodite): slightly increased power level
• Life Affirmation (Aphrodite): newly added!
• Impending Doom (Ares): newly added!
• Clean Kill (Artemis): reduced power level
• Fully Loaded (Artemis): no longer upgradeable using Poms
๐Ÿ“ข Tipsy Shot (Dionysus): now enhanced by Rapid Cast (Hermes)
• Second Wind (Hermes): newly added!
• Greater Recall (Hermes): newly added!
• Greater Evasion (Hermes): reduced power level of Rare and Epic rarity
• Passing Through (Hermes): reduced power level
• Lightning Phalanx (Zeus x Athena): newly added!
• Vengeful Mood (Zeus x Ares): newly added!
• Freak Accident (Zeus x Artemis): cut from game; replaced with...
• Lightning Rod (Zeus x Artemis): newly added!
• Sweet Nectar (Poseidon x Aphrodite): newly added!
• Exclusive Access (Poseidon x Dionysus): newly added!
• Merciful End (Ares x Athena): reduced power level
• Heart Rend (Artemis x Aphrodite): newly added!
• Hunter's Mark (Artemis): Status Curse now applies to a nearby foe (instead of the one you hit)
• Ocean's Bounty (Poseidon): yields greater rewards; no longer affects Centaur Hearts
• Razor Shoals (Poseidon): reworked; Rupture damage no longer scales with move speed
• Vicious Cycle (Ares): effect no longer stacks from separate sources
• Grasp (Chaos): reduced max. possible bonus


Daedalus Hammer Upgrades

๐Ÿ“ข Sniper Shot (Bow): reduced min. distance for damage bonus; reduced damage bonus
๐Ÿ“ข Twin Shot (Bow) and Sniper Shot (Bow) are now mutually exclusive
• Pulverizing Blow (Shield): fixed an issue causing on-hit effects not to trigger from the second hit
๐Ÿ“ข Exploding Launcher (Spear): now increases base damage of the Throw special
• Invigorating Blast (Rail): power-up effect is applied more reliably


Foes & Encounters

• Beware of a variety of all-new foes and sinister traps in the Temple of Styx
๐Ÿ“ข Thanatos: reduced frequency of his area attack; also increased preattack duration and recovery time
๐Ÿ“ข 'Trial of the Gods': Athena effects no longer harm you as foes spawn
• Slam-Dancer: attacks more frequently
• Alecto: increased damage of Whip Shot attack
• Bone Hydra: increased health and armor
• Soul Catcher: butterfly projectiles can no longer be deflected (only destroyed)
• The Minotaur: reduced health
• Theseus: reduced health; removed Chariot reinforcements


Keepsakes & Items

๐Ÿ“ข Lambent Plume: clear-times required to gain the benefit now vary by encounter type
• Kiss of Styx (Well): increased shop cost


Level Design & Environments

• Added Temple of Styx chambers
• Other minor fixes and improvements to various chambers


Art & Visual FX

• Added new Temple of Styx environment set
• Updated textures for Megaera
• Updated look of Witch variants in Asphodel and Elysium
• Added slight animation to portraits for Dionysus and Ares
• Added visual effect for Exit Wounds (Artemis)
• Updated visual effects for Shatter Shot (Aphrodite)
• Updated UI and visuals for Death Defiance effects
• Updated some artwork in the House of Hades
• Updated visual effect for spurned god's Boon vanishing in Trials of the Gods
• Updated visual effect for Gorgon and Megagorgon projectiles
• Updated shadows on some House of Hades characters
• Updated main menu based on new Major Update


Menus & UI

• Updated Wrath Gauge UI (now called the God Gauge) as part of the Wrath system rework
• Updated biome map with the Temple of Styx
• Updated text for various Boons and interactions
• Added visual timer when using Lambent Plume (Hermes)
• Improved feedback on active Heat UI when using the Pact
๐Ÿ“ข Text clarifications to some Boons and upgrades
• Other minor changes and improvements


Music & SFX

• Two new music tracks, for the Temple of Styx and final battle!
• Added many new sound SFX for the Temple of Styx
• Other minor changes, fixes, and mix improvements


Voice & Narrative

• Added narrative events with several characters
• Added more Zagreus voice lines for various gameplay contexts
• Added new Storyteller events for successfully clearing runs; removed some that no longer apply
• Added Codex entries for new Styx foes, as well as Asphodel and Elysium Witches
๐Ÿ“ข Updated requirements for some narrative events
๐Ÿ“ข Fixes and tuning to some contextual voice events


Miscellaneous

• Updated Development Roadmap to reflect our plans for our next Major Update, and beyond
• Updated Credits; including with some exceptional Community Contributors (Thank you!!)
• Cerberus: now permits Zagreus to pet him in certain contexts


Bug Fixes

๐Ÿ“ข Fixed an issue where foes could deal extra damage to you after Charm effects on them expire
๐Ÿ“ข Fixed an issue where Poms of Power sometimes offered no visible changes in Boon power
๐Ÿ“ข Fixed issues with the effects of Light of Ixion (Well) and Trove Tracker (Well) not stacking correctly
๐Ÿ“ข Fixed an issue with exiting Chambers just as the last foe is slain in a Trove Trial
• Fixed an issue preventing Wrath Boons from being offered as Pom of Power upgrades
• Fixed Ares' Blade Rifts getting stuck in walls in some contexts
• Fixed Tipsy Shot (Dionysus) creating multiple Ammo drops due to Burst Shot (Artemis)
• Fixed Battle Rage (Ares) activating from Thanatos kills or Exalted respawns
• Fixed Dying Lament (Aphrodite) hitting the player in rare instances
• Fixed Sudden Rush (Daedalus) sometimes causing the Shield's Bull Rush to have reduced range
• Fixed Drift Dash (Hermes) sometimes causing the Shield's Bull Rush to have reduced range
๐Ÿ“ข Fixed a rare issue with the next chamber not unlocking in the Fallen Warrior's chamber
๐Ÿ“ข Fixed being able to gift Ambrosia to the Fallen Warrior before learning his name
• Fixed pre-boss Shop Chamber previews sometimes appearing alterable by Fated Authority
• Fixed incorrect footstep sounds sometimes occurring in the House after multiple consecutive runs
• Fixed the center-most projectile in Tisiphone's flurry attack being invisible
• Fixed Skull Earring (Megaera) visual feedback not clearing after healing above the activation threshold
• Fixed a graphical issue where Elysian Arrow Trap projectiles did not always dissipate correctly
• Fixed gameplay timer briefly counting up between Olympians speaking and the Boon screen opening
• Fixed 'Petrified' status icon sometimes not displaying correctly
• Fixed music state sometimes advancing incorrectly after returning from Erebus
• Fixed an issue causing the save indicator to show in the Main Menu after quitting right after saving
• Fixed instances where Bone Hydra's neck segments could sort in front of the head
• Fixed various other graphical sorting issues
๐Ÿ“ข Many other minor fixes


Quote of the Patch

"Hades' name...probably meant 'Unseen One.' Even though this was less a name than a title, the Greeks were hesitant about using it in speech, apparently out of fear of attracting the attention of the awesome lord of the dead."
~Crowell's Handbook of Classical Mythology (E. Tripp)


Patch Notes Archive

For patch notes from the previous Major Update, check out The High Speed Update Patch Notes (June, 2019).

Now you can battle out of hell FOR REAL in Hades, with the launch of the game's latest major update in Early Access.

The Big Bad Update introduces an all-new biome, the sinister Temple of Styx: gateway between the realm of the living and the realm of the dead. Survive its dangers, and you might just escape from the Underworld -- and the clutches of its fearsome ruler. Here are the highlights:

- Break through the Temple of Styx, the gateway to the Underworld, with its well-guarded main hub and dark, dangerous passageways.

- The Final Battle Looms in a climactic confrontation! Who or what awaits if you withstand the Temple's challenges?

- Battle New, Nefarious Foes such as Satyr Cultists and Gigantic Vermin, who have no allegiance even to Lord Hades himself!

- Call Upon Olympus with the reworked 'Wrath' ability, letting you invoke divine aid in a pinch!

- New 'Duo' Boons such as Vengeful Mood and Heart Rend let you combo the Olympians' strongest powers.

Plus, two intense new music tracks, tons of balance changes, new fully voiced story events, updated art and visual FX, and more! Full patch notes are available here on our web site, in the game client, and Supergiant's official Discord. There's also this:

And, stay tuned for what's coming next! The Big Bad Update marks an important milestone in the game's development. With most of the game structure now intact, the team has lots of exciting opportunity to enhance every aspect. Keep sending your feedback!