Delving into the underworld even earlier than expected, Supergiant’s sequel to the beloved roguelike has everyone hotter than hell right now. Even though Hades 2 is still in early access and will be in development for much of the year, it has already reached a peak of 79,276 concurrent players in the space of a single day.

Although this has a lot to do with how incredible the first Hades was, and also being packed with hot characters doesn’t do it any harm, it only goes to show how badly gamers needed an exciting game in the industry’s driest months and how its early access strategy could do more good for Supergiant than anything bad – putting a new positive spin on how to do Early Access right.

Hades 2 Couldn’t Have Come At A Better Time

It’s understandable why some roguelike fans may want to wait until development is complete for Hades 2. Early Access hasn’t had the best reputation in the world, with previous games like Cube World and DayZ either never leaving their infancy stage or completely falling apart in the process. It has given this, initially, helpful way for players to help shape games through feedback, a terrible stamp of disapproval that has shaped the legacy of something actually great when it’s done really well.

When it comes to Hades, the tried and tested method by Supergiant worked brilliantly when their first game was released, and was almost complete with the studio spending over a year working on improving the title before it even reached its early access shelf, already setting the ancient Greek game way ahead of its counterparts. And now, with Hades 2, its early access is packed with a huge cast full of fully voiced characters, more environments than the first game, the ability to unlock permanent upgrades, and a host of weapons from the Nocturnal Arms.

Just like in the case of Baldur’s Gate 3, Larian Studios also knew how to give Early Access the treatment it deserved, which offered players something worthwhile and meaty instead of throwing them into yet another half-baked early access where they’d have to wait ages from the developers for something substantial to fill their time with and watch it crumble under their fingertips.

One of the main attractions to games like BG3 and Hades 2 is how transparent the studios are with their updates, giving players a step-by-step guide on what they can expect next, so this, in turn, makes players feel like they are an important piece of the process.

This surprise release of Hades 2 from Supergiant was also a fantastic strategic move by the company at a time when there is little to no competition. Sure, we have Hellblade 2 to look forward to this month, and Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree in June, but it’s painfully clear that this has been one of gaming’s driest months in a very long time.

We’ve also had more industry lay-offs than we can count, so coupled with the overwhelming depressed state of the game industry and with no other, as yet, title that truly stands out, Hades 2’s early access release came at the perfect time. Not only to rescue gamers from crippling boredom but also at a price that they can afford and is justified in a time when $70 games lacking in content and structure are the norm.