The developer of Hades 2 talks about the critical role of timing for Early Access

Supergiant Games, the creators behind Hades 2, have shared insights on the strategic considerations for studios aiming to launch a game via Steam Early Access.

In a conversation with GamesRadar, Greg Kasavin, founder and creative director of Supergiant Games, highlighted the complexities around scheduling a game’s release into paid alpha. He noted that a game should offer sufficient content to justify purchasing, while still leaving room for further development and refinement based on user feedback.

"The decision of when to debut a game in Early Access carries significant weight for developers," stated Kasavin.

"The game should be developed enough for enjoyment without extensive conditions, yet not too advanced to prevent adjustments based on player responses," he elaborated.

Kasavin emphasized that like its predecessor, Hades 2 was crafted with Early Access in mind. "It’s a project where player input is integral to its development," he mentioned.

Hades 2 was unveiled during The Game Awards in 2022, sharing the spotlight with Death Stranding 2 and Armored Core 6. It moved into Early Access in May 2024, ultimately wrapping up the alpha phase by September 2025.

Upon launch, Hades 2 secured the leading position as the top PC game of 2025 on Metacritic, outperforming competitors such as Hollow Knight: Silksong and Clair Obscur: Expedition 2. Additionally, the game achieved a peak of 112,947 simultaneous players on Steam, as indicated by SteamDB. It also clinched the Best Action Game award at The Game Awards 2025.

The first Hades was launched in December 2020 after 22 months in Early Access. It surpassed one million copies in sales and was recognized as the inaugural video game to earn a Hugo Award in 2021.