This article contains minor spoilers for Hades 2's ending.
When Hades 2 finally emerged from its Early Access phase, it sucked me back into the Crossroads once more. Only this time, I would get to experience the full version of Melinoe’s journey. Throughout every playthrough, I enjoyed every frantic build, every razor-sharp combat, and the gods in their most regal form. But I regret to say that I join the hoards of fans who felt that Hades 2's True Ending fell a bit short of my expectations. What stings the most is that my expectations were sky-high thanks to how much I enjoyed the original Hades' ending.
What should have felt like the emotional apex that sealed the deal for Hades 2 fell abruptly short. It felt like the last page had been torn out of a story I had invested countless hours in, from its Early Access stage. So when I saw that Supergiant Games’ Patch 1 preview was going live on Steam, my heart skipped. It’s not just a welcome fix; it feels like a second chance. For me, a game that asks you to die again and again should leave something more behind than a credit roll. Patch 1 might finally let the culmination breathe, heal, and make sense. And I’m more than ready to kill Time again.
Hades 2 Patch 1 Preview Arrives for PC, Steam Deck, and Mac
Hades 2’s Patch 1 is now available for preview for PC and Mac players. While the complete patch does not yet have a set release date, players can try it out in its current, in-progress form. While the previewed Patch has some bug fixes and tweaks that went unaddressed in hotfixes, its biggest highlights include the following:
- Enhanced True Ending: Expanded events now lead into and follow the game’s True Ending. The update increases the required number of Underworld clears and revises several key moments before the end credits. However, most changes focus on Hades 2's Underworld route; the Surface path remains mostly untouched.
- Replay Key Story Moments: A new Cauldron incantation allows players to revisit earlier parts of the story, including pivotal events like the True Ending sequence. This will come in handy for players who are looking to play through the events leading to Hades 2’s True Ending without starting all over.
- Faster Prophecy Progression: Several character-related Fated Prophecies, including the one tied to the story epilogue, now unfold more quickly for smoother narrative pacing.
- Crossroads Improvements: Decorative items at the Crossroads now cost fewer Kudos, and players will automatically receive refunds for any excess Kudos previously spent.
Other Boons and Tweaks from the Hades 2 Patch 1 Preview
Hades 2’s Patch 1 preview introduces numerous quality-of-life improvements. It also offers new content for players, and while this isn't the final version of the patch, it certainly provides a lot of value. So far, the Patch features:
- New events and voice lines featuring prominent characters like Chronos, Zagreus, Hecate, Persephone, and more.
- Increased overall damage and effectiveness for boons in Hades 2.
- Over 30 listed bug fixes, excluding minor bugs.
Hades 2: All Romanceable Characters
The original Hades had such intriguing, unique romances. Hades 2 continues this tradition with its own twist on love for Melinoe.
Hades 2’s Ending Fell Flat, But Patch 1 May Help
I adored Hades 2. From its layered writing to Melinoe’s quiet resilience, it felt like lightning struck twice. I was fully on board the “strong Game of the Year 2025 contender” train, and I still am, even as that assertion now comes with a cautious asterisk. That hesitation isn’t a slight; if anything, it’s a compliment. 2025 has been an amazing year for games, packed with unforgettable narratives like Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 and adventurous triumphs like Split Fiction. For Hades 2 to stand among them at all is remarkable.
Hades 2's ending didn’t stumble in the traditional sense. It wasn’t broken or incoherent, but it felt strangely weightless. The story that began with so much purpose and foreboding concluded with a sigh rather than a crescendo. And for a roguelike built on repetition, discovery, and emotional catharsis, that lack of emotional closure left a hollowness that lingered long after the final run.
“Don’t Worry, Zagreus Fixes It:)”
The True Ending, as it stands, feels oddly rushed for a studio that excels at emotional pacing. The moment Chronos falls, the game sprints through its resolution as if afraid to linger. The menace that fueled the entire story dissolves into an entity entirely teethless, replaced by a vague reassurance that Zagreus fixed it. Suddenly, the Hades characters are at peace, old wounds are healed, and the universe is conveniently mended thanks to off-screen timeline shenanigans.
I’ve never been a fan of multiverse or multiple timeline fixes, and unfortunately, Hades 2 doubled down on why. The resolution feels like the narrative equivalent of waving your hand and saying, “Don’t think about it too hard.” And for a story that asks you to die and try again hundreds of times, it’s a letdown to see so much emotional payoff happen somewhere you can’t actually play.
The Absence of Tenderness
I think what disappoints me most, though, is the absence of heart. I still remember choking up during Hades when Zagreus goes to the surface and finally reunites with his mother. It was quiet and human: an almost fragile tenderness that cut through all the godly grandeur. That game’s message, that even immortals could be moved by something as mortal as family, hit hard.
So when Hades 2 seemed to be building toward a similar theme—a story of family, loss, and legacy—I braced for those soft moments again. Instead, I got a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it exchanges that barely grazed that emotional high. Persephone’s brief acknowledgment of Melinoe’s growth and beauty should’ve gutted me, but I was too busy wondering, “Wait, that’s it?”
Why Patch 1 Might Finally Fix Hades 2's Ending
I’ll be honest: there’s only so much a Patch can do to improve Hades 2’s ending. But it’s a start. The True Ending enhancements promise new events before and after the climax. It may allow moments to breathe. Increasing the number of Underworld clears required hints that the game might finally give players time to earn that sense of closure rather than tripping into it.
Supergiant’s strength has always been in emotional rhythm: knowing when to let players fight, when to laugh, and when to feel. If this patch restores that rhythm, if it lets Melinoe’s ending unfold with the grace and weight Zagreus’s had, then maybe Hades 2 can live up to the impossible standard Hades 1 set. And if it makes me cry again? Well, that’s when I’ll know they got it right.
Hades 2
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 95 /100 Critics Rec: 98%
- Released
- September 25, 2025
- ESRB
- Teen / Alcohol Reference, Blood, Mild Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Supergiant Games
- Publisher(s)
- Supergiant Games
