Gab Hernandez 
Hades 2 will launch in early access very soon but fans can sign up for the Hades 2 technical test before the sequel goes public.
Indie game fans widely consider Hades to be one of the best examples of what developers can do outside the AAA space. Hades shadow dropped in December 2018, the same day as its announcement. The game stayed in early access for nearly two years and sold 700,000 copies. With its official release in September 2020, Hades sold over a million copies.
Supergiant Games announced Hades 2 during The Game Awards 2022 but did not shadow-drop the game itself like its predecessor. Still, fans got an exciting trailer that featured gameplay and a teaser of the sequel’s story. Hades 2 follows Melinoe, a princess of the Underworld and sister to Zagreus, who vows to defeat Chronos, the Titan of Time. Finally, fans can go hands-on with the next chapter in the mythological adventure.
How to get into Hades 2 technical test
Players can get into the Hades 2 technical test directly through the game’s page on Steam.
To get into the test, players simply need to open up its page on the Steam store. There is a module beneath the “Add to your wishlist” button that allows players to request access to the test. Requesting access to the technical test does not guarantee an early look at Hades 2, as the developers stated that they intend to invite players slowly over time.
“Our process boils down to: invite some players, fix any problems they run into, invite more players, and so on. Once we’re sufficiently confident that things are stable, we will wind down the Technical Test, then launch the game in Early Access relatively soon after,” the Hades 2 development team said on Steam.
The technical test will precede the rollout of Early Access as a way for the studio to gauge what needs fixing. The developers state it will only feature the first major area of the game, much like Tartarus in the original.
As for how long the technical test will last, the developers claim it will take “longer than a week, shorter than a month.” With that vague timeline, Hades 2 could potentially launch in early access sometime in May 2024. Officially, the release window for Hades 2 early access was Q2 2024 and the developers seem positioned to execute on that.
Unfortunately, the Hades 2 technical test will not be available to console players and it’s likely that early access will also be unavailable on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, or Nintendo Switch. The original wasn’t available on consoles until the game’s full launch, and this will happen once again.
How long will Hades 2 be in early access?
The developers have not confirmed how long the Hades 2 early access period will last.
If it’s close to the first game’s early access period, fans may have to wait until 2026 for the sequel’s official release. Its predecessor had four phases during early access, each revealing a new section on top of story elements.
Regardless, the fact that the first game sold over 700,00 copies during early access likely motivated Supergiant Games to try that process once again. Hopefully, fans won’t have to wait years to experience the sequel’s intriguing storyline.
