How long is Hades 2? Overview of all Early Access content

Brad Norton
Hades 2 cinematic

Hades 2 is out now in Early Access but just how long does it take to beat? Here’s the rundown on all the content already in this initial build and how many hours you can expect to grind.

Three years removed from the initial release of the original Hades, its sequel is now in focus. Hades 2, the first-ever follow-up from Supergiant Games, is now available in Early Acess and as you’d expect, in typical Supergiant fashion, there’s plenty to sink your teeth into.

With a range of new resources, systems, weapons, bosses, and everything in between, there’s a ton of content here to keep you satisfied. But just how long does it take to get through it all?

Here’s a look at how long you can expect to be playing Hades 2 in Early Access.

How long does it take to beat Hades 2 in Early Access? Storyline run

For a playthrough of Hades 2 focused mainly on experiencing the story, you can expect roughly 15-20 hours of game time.

In large part, this is due to the methodical pacing you’d be familiar with from the first game.

The story of Hades 2 evolves with each successful or unsuccessful run in the Underworld, and beyond. New characters come into the mix, new plot lines open up, and as you grow into the shoes of Melinoë, the world around you changes.

And while there’s no clearcut ending in the Early Access version, to see all of the unique narrative-based content on offer, clearing the main bosses and reaching ‘the end,’ of sorts, you’re looking at that 15-20 hour ballpark.

Hades 2 Steam page
20 hours in and we’re barely scratching the surface on the full range of content in Hades 2.

How long does it take to beat Hades 2 in Early Access? Completionist run

For a playthrough of Hades 2 that looks to tick every box, unlock every item, gain every unique reward, and essentially do it all, you could be looking at well over 50 hours of gameplay in Early Access already.

While there’s still more areas to be introduced, new characters and systems to mix things up as well, the day one Early Access build already has tons to see and do. From optional challenge runs to upgrading your Arcana Cards, there’s a great deal on offer to keep you busy for hours on end.

The total time it might take depends on your level of skill, and of course, in roguelike fashion, a bit of luck too. Finding every Legendary and Duo boon alone could take dozens of hours depending on your luck and how swiftly you get through the many upgrade systems.

Let alone all the other unique content we haven’t mentioned. For a full completionist run, 50 hours seems like the minimum you can expect to spend with Hades 2.

Given the game is in Early Access, and will be until at least the end of 2024, you can expect this number to continue growing a great deal too. As more content is added to the build, there will be plenty more for completionists to get through.

How much content is in Hades 2’s Early Access build?

Put simply, Hades 2 has a huge amount of content available in its Early Access build. You’re effectively getting just as much as the full version of the original Hades in terms of storylines, weapons, systems, and more.

As we outlined in our bigger preview, the Early Access label isn’t the most fitting here for Hades 2. Supergiant has all but released a full sequel, just with a few finishing touches left in the pipeline over the rest of 2024.

Outside of a definitive ending, some artwork left to be finalized, and a handful of systems to be implemented, the game is already incredibly feature-rich.

The good news is no matter how much progress you make in Early Access, your save will carry over into the full release of Hades 2.

About The Author

Brad Norton is the Australian Managing Editor at Dexerto. He graduated from Swinburne University with a Bachelor’s degree in journalism and has been working full-time in the field for the past six years at the likes of Gamurs Group and now Dexerto. He loves all things single-player gaming (with Uncharted a personal favorite) but has a history on the competitive side having previously run Oceanic esports org Mindfreak. You can contact Brad at brad.norton@dexerto.com