Hades II has taken the gaming world by storm, and I’m not just saying that because it’s the subject of our current cover story. But while many have been surprised by the sheer volume of content available so far, it’s still in Early Access, so the team at Supergiant will be updating and patching it for the foreseeable future. The first of those patches came today, and it adds a few small quality-of-life improvements.
Our first Early Access patch for Hades II is out now on Steam and the Epic Games Store!! We’re very grateful for all the feedback so far, which inspired this first set of targeted improvements and fixes.
🌒Full Patch Notes: https://t.co/HDQRCANrv1 pic.twitter.com/RJO0ayFb8c
— Supergiant Games (@SupergiantGames) May 16, 2024
The first change comes to the sprint mechanic, a feature the original Hades did not have. By holding the dash button, Melinoë will begin to run, making it easier to avoid enemy attacks or cross larger lengths of the map. Several boons also only activate while sprinting, so it’s a crucial mechanic for Supergiant to get right. After this first patch, sprinting is faster and it’s easier to turn, and related boons have been re-balanced accordingly. Additionally, The Swift Runner upgrade at the Altar of Ashes (which increases sprint speed by 20%) now makes your dash immediately start, so you can escape danger more reliably.
The patch also does a minor overhaul of the resource collection system. As you progress, you’ll unlock different tools, like the pickaxe and the shovel, to harvest different types of materials, like minerals and seeds. Before the patch, choosing a tool before a run meant you could only harvest those specific resources until you returned to the crossroads. If you picked up a shovel and encountered a fishing spot, you were out of luck. Now, players can harvest any resource they encounter in a run, but selecting a certain tool just makes its corresponding resource much more likely to appear. Now, a shovel-wielding Melinoë can attempt to catch any fish she comes across, but it’s much less likely she encounters one in the first place.
The patch also includes a number of other smaller fixes, which you can read in their entirety here. Just be wary before unveiling those spoiler tags if you haven’t made it through the bulk of the game, as they reveal the existence of certain characters or locations you likely haven’t encountered yet.
For more Hades 2, check out our coverage hub, which includes a rapid-fire interview with the developers, a tour of Supergiant Games’ studio, and our in-depth cover story detailing the making of the game.