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Hades News

Dive Into the Blood Price Update!

Our god-like rogue-like dungeon crawler, Hades, expands in a big way in our new Major Update:

About the Update
Hades becomes a bigger, more varied experience than ever with new content across the board!
  • The Stygian Boatman, Charon, is finally unmasked, and has new inventory in stock in his shops & Wells (plus a surprise or two)!

  • Discover three new Legendary Weapon Aspects, including the Shield's Aspect of Beowulf and the Bow's Aspect of Rama!

  • Get new Boons from each Olympian, including Duo Boons for every pairing -- plus, new Daedalus Hammer upgrades for each weapon!

  • Take on new foes, mini-bosses, even a hidden boss! Beware the Wretched Sneak, Doomstone, Dracon, and other dangers.

  • Experience new story events with almost every character, with more than 3,500 new voice lines added for this update!

This update also features a huge amount of new-and-improved art and audio, not to mention a totally revamped code base that should make the game run even faster and smoother for many players. You'll be able to get closer than ever to the game's big cast of characters as you gear up for the true ending, coming in our v1.0 Launch.

How to Get It
The Blood Price Update is a free, automatic download as part of the Early Access development of Hades. If you've come directly to this post, check out the game here:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1145360/Hades/
Once you've downloaded the update, you may need to restart your Steam client. In the off chance the game isn't working properly for you after the update, please try verifying the game files:
  • Right-click on Hades in your Steam Library
  • Select 'Properties...', then select the 'Local Files' tab
  • Select 'Verify Integrity of Game Files...'

This may alleviate any issues. If you run into any technical issues, please check our Technical Support FAQ for solutions.

Patch Notes & Discord
Full patch notes are available here on Steam, in the game client, and our official Discord, where you can join a welcoming community of Hades players and Supergiant fans. This update also includes a significant update to our Development Roadmap, with these highlights:

Dev Roadmap Update - June 2020

You can always see our latest Development Roadmap right in the game client. We wanted to share highlights from our latest update here.



In our third and latest Major Update this year, we made big, important under-the-hood changes to our code base, improving performance and multiplatform capability. We also added new content pretty much across the board.

What's Next:
Our next big step is to exit Early Access for the v1.0 Launch of Hades, coming later this year! It will include the true ending of the story, plus many additional finishing touches.

Release Date & Platforms:
As of this writing, we don't yet have a more-specific date for our v1.0 Launch, other than 'later this year'. We also can't yet confirm any additional platforms. Thank you for your patience, and check here or social media for the latest news.

High Priority Tasks:
These are the big-ticket items we have to take care of before we can exit Early Access for our v1.0 Launch:

  • Game Ending: Though we wish to keep the details a secret, we're continuing to work on content for the game's true ending.

  • Polishing & Content Completion: We have some other additional content pieces in the works, plus final fixes and improvements.

  • Multiplatform Development: Each platform we support requires special care and attention, both in features and optimizations.

  • Localization: We're working with professional and community translators to ensure the game is fully translated for our v1.0 Launch.


Hades has now been in development for about three years. The very first decision we made on the project was to make it an Early Access game, which we could build in partnership with our community. We also wanted to prove that Early Access development could be compatible with our approach to making games. We couldn't be happier with how the experiment has gone. Your feedback has made this game so much better than we could have on our own, so keep telling us what you think. Onward to our v1.0 Launch!

The Blood Price Update - Patch Notes

Hades is in Early Access, which means we're actively working on it based on our plans and your feedback. We expect to keep adding features, characters, weapons, foes, powers, environments, and more, while expanding the story and fine-tuning all aspects of the experience. Here are our latest patch note!

EDIT -- Follow-up Patches We always release at least a couple of follow-up patches after each Major Update, to respond to feedback, fix remaining issues, and make additional improvements.

· Early Access Patch 047 (Jul 2)
· Early Access Patch 046 (Jun 30)
· Early Access Patch 045 (Jun 26)

Early Access Patch 044: The BLOOD PRICE Update - June 23, 2020

Our third Major Update of the year has officially arrived, and it's our biggest ever, chock-full of new content across the board!! Thank you for playing, and special thanks to our beta testers for helping us get here. Expect a follow-up patch soon to address any lingering issues, and then... onward to our v1.0 Launch!

Note: 📢 indicates a change inspired by community feedback!

Highlights

New Boss Fight: see if you can find this dangerous new encounter, and reap the rewards
New Legendary Aspects: discover the hidden forms of the Bow, Shield, and Rail
New Foes and Mini-bosses: face the Wretched Sneak, Dracon, Doomstone, and more
New Boons & Upgrades: gain dozens of new powers, including Duo Boons for each Olympian pairing
New Goods in Stock: look for many new items from Charon and the House Contractor
New Art & Visual Effects: bask in the atmosphere, with newly added character models and animations
Expanded Story: experience new narrative events for nearly every single character in the game
Updated Code Base: our newly optimized game engine offers smoother performance for many players

Engine & Tech

• Updated our code base for improved performance and compatibility. The game should now run on more PCs above the minimum system requirement, and run faster for most players.

Note: Please make sure to update your graphics drivers to the latest version to take advantage of these improvements! If you cannot start the game, or experience worsened performance relative to past versions, please reach out to us at discord.gg/Supergiant and we will work with you to get it resolved.

General Gameplay

📢 Upgraded Chthonic Key rewards grant Fated Authority even while using Routine Inspection (Pact)
📢 Hell Mode no longer forces you to play at escalating Heat levels
• Slightly reduced base chance Olympians offering Duo Boons (now that there are many more of them)

Infernal Arms, Aspects, & Abilities

Heart-Seeking Bow (Rama Aspect): new! Seek Artemis to reveal it (unlock Guan Yu & Bow aspects 1st)
Shield of Chaos (Beowulf Aspect): new! Seek Chaos to reveal it (unlock Guan Yu & Shield aspects 1st)
Adamant Rail (L------ Aspect): new! Seek Zeus to reveal it (unlock Guan Yu & Rail aspects 1st)
📢 Stygian Blade (Arthur Aspect): improved hit box on second swing in the Attack sequence
Eternal Spear (Guan Yu Aspect): slightly reduced Throw special width and damage

Boons & Blessings

• Each Olympian now offers a new, alternate Cast Boon while you have Aspect of Beowulf (Shield)
Lightning Reflexes (Zeus): new! Dash just before being hit to counter-attack with a lightning bolt
Smoldering Air (Zeus x Aphrodite): new! Your God Gauge charges up automatically, but caps at 25%
Rip Current (Poseidon): new! Makes Poseidon's Aid last longer and pull foes in
Hydraulic Might (Poseidon): new! Your Attack and Special are briefly stronger at the start of Encounters
Unshakable Mettle (Poseidon x Athena): new! You can't be stunned, and resist damage from bosses
Curse of Drowning (Poseidon x Ares): new! Your Cast is a pulse that deals damage to foes around you
Parting Shot (Athena x Aphrodite): new! Your {$Keywords.Cast} deals backstab damage and gains related bonuses
Spent Spirit (Athena x Aphrodite): now from Athena x Dionysus, called Calculated Risk
Stubborn Roots (Athena x Demeter): new! While you have no Death Defiance, your health regenerates
Blood Frenzy (Ares): new! After using Death Defiance, deal more damage in that Encounter
Dire Misfortune (Ares): increased power level
Ares' Aid: reduced duration; increased damage to compensate
Curse of Nausea (Ares x Dionysus): new! Your Hangover effects deal damage faster
Freezing Vortex (Ares x Demeter): new! Your Cast inflicts Chill, but is smaller and slower
Blown Kiss (Aphrodite): new! Your Cast shoots farther and is stronger against undamaged foes
Cold Embrace (Aphrodite x Demeter): new! Your Cast beam fires at your position, dealing more damage
Curse of Longing (Aphrodite x Ares): increased damage
Dual Shot (Artemis): now a Duo, called Mirage Shot (Poseidon x Artemis)
Support Fire (Artemis): reduced scaling from Poms
📢 Fully Loaded (Artemis): reduced bonus Cast ammo; adjusted requirements for this to be offered
Splitting Headache (Artemis x Dionysus): new! Hangover-afflicted foes more likely to take Critical damage
Strong Drink (Dionysus): new! Using Fountains restores all your health and gives you bonus damage
Glacial Glare (Demeter): new! Your Cast fires for a longer duration and inflicts Chill
Frozen Touch (Demeter): new! after taking damage, damage and completely Chill your foe
Arctic Blast (Demeter): reduced effectiveness
📢 Winter's Harvest (Demeter): adjusted requirements for this to be offered
Quick Favor (Hermes): new! Your God Gauge slowly charges up automatically
Side Hustle (Hermes): new! Gain some money each time you enter a chamber
Rush Delivery (Hermes): new! Deal bonus damage based on any bonus move speed
Halting (Chaos): new! Your Dash has reduced range
Brilliance (Chaos): new! Any Gemstones you find are worth more
Assault (Chaos): new! Deal bonus damage striking undamaged foes
Ambush (Chaos): new! Deal bonus damage striking foes from behind
Ruin (Chaos): new! Traps deal bonus damage to foes

Daedalus Hammer Upgrades

Hoarding Slash (Blade): new! Your Attack deals more damage the more money you have
Snap Nova (Blade): new! You lunge forward when you use your Special; use again to lunge back
Greater Consecration (Blade - Arthur Aspect): new! Your Special aura is larger and makes foes slower
Concentrated Volley (Bow): new! Your Special deals bonus damage for each consecutive hit to a foe
Point-Blank Shot (Bow): Added back to the game; your Attack deals bonus damage to nearby foes
Repulse Shot (Bow - Rama Aspect): new! Your Attack creates a Blast Wave that knocks foes away
Flaring Spin (Spear): new! While charging your Spin Attack, you pulse damage and cannot be stunned
Triple Jab (Spear): new! Your Attack strikes 3 times in a spread pattern
Winged Serpent (Spear - Guan Yu Aspect): new! Your Serpent Slash ability travels longer
World Smasher (Shield): cut from game
Empowering Flight (Shield): new! After your Special hits, your next 3 attacks deal bonus damage
Ferocious Guard (Shield): new! After blocking a foe, briefly gain bonus damage and move speed
Dashing Flight (Shield): new! While you Dash, your Throw special is faster and deals more damage
Unyielding Defense (Shield - Beowulf Aspect): new! After using your Cast, you briefly can't be stunned
Kinetic Launcher (Fists): new! Your Cutter special becomes a charged ranged attack
Heavy Knuckle (Fists): new! Your Attack becomes a stronger, slower 3-hit sequence
Colossus Knuckle (Fists): new! You cannot be stunned while using your Attack or Special
Consecutive Fire (Rail): cut from game
Spread Fire (Rail): now has a penalty to max. ammo again; reduced damage and area of effect
Inescapable Blast (Rail): now also causes foes to take more damage; now called Targeting System
Seeking Fire (Rail): new! Your Attack seeks the nearest foe and deals bonus damage
Concentrated Fire (Rail): new! Successive shots against the same foe deal more damage
• ...Plus 4 new Daedalus Hammer Upgrades unique to the Rail's new L------ Aspect

Foes & Encounters

Thanatos: increased rate of attack for his single-target Death Sentence
'Trial of the Gods': increased frequency and tracking of Artemis attacks; increased frequency and quantity of Dionysus attacks
Wringer: new! This Tartarus foe grabs and briefly stuns you
Wretched Sneak: new! This Tartarus mini-boss is elusive and deadly
Doomstone: new! This Tartarus mini-boss is what Brimstones want to be when they grow up
Bloodless Slam-Dancers, Wave-Makers, and Burn-Flingers no longer appear as Tartarus mini-bosses
Megaera: ground blast attacks detonate slightly faster
The Fury Sisters: increased health and attack speed under Extreme Measures (Pact)
📢 The Bloodless: improved leaping behavior for all varieties
Wave-Maker: reduced Elite health and armor
Bloodless Bone-Raker: new! This Asphodel foe attacks with consecutive swipes
Dracon: new! This Asphodel foe burrows and uses ranged attacks
Witches Circle: new! This Asphodel mini-boss encounter pits you against elite Spreaders
Gorgon: increased Elite armor and firing sequence
Skull-Crusher: slightly increased the duration the Elite version stays on the ground
Bone Hydra: reworked; the main head now has 4 new variants you may encounter instead of the original, each with their own attacks (based on what the smaller heads can do)
Elysian Spear Trap: now link their attacks whenever one is activated
The Exalted: increased damage for Brightswords, Greatshields, and Strongbows
📢 The Minotaur: slightly reduced turn speed on Bull Rush attack; updated various other attacks
📢 Theseus: reduced damage of explosive attack under Extreme Measures (Pact)
📢 Fixed Styx Poison effects sometimes not clearing after an Encounter

Mirror of Night

Family Favorite: slightly reduced effectiveness; you now can see your current bonus from it in Boon Info
Olympian Legacy: moved to be the counterpart to Gods' Pride; now called Gods' Legacy; reduced the max. benefit this could provide (now that there are many more Duos; invested Darkness will be refunded)
Dark Regeneration: slightly reduced max. benefit

Keepsakes

Companion Antos ( ? ? ? ): new Legendary Keepsake! Summons ? ? ? to skewer your foes
📢 Companion Rib (Skelly): summoned companion no longer auto-locked using Aim Assist
Shattered Shackle (Sisyphus): reworked; your basic moves are stronger while not empowered by Boons

Well of Charon & Other Items

Anvil of Fates: new! Removes one random Daedalus Hammer enchantment, then gives you two
Mystery Boon: new! Gives you a Boon from a random Olympian; costs less than a Boon
Pom Slice: new! Gives a random Boon • 1 Lv.; costs less than Pom
Gaea's Treasure: new! Provides some Gemstones.
Centaur Soul: new! Raises life total (without healing).
Price of Midas: new! Provides some money, in exchange for some life.
Chimaera Jerky: new! Your Special deals more damage.
Fateful Twist: new! You gain a random item from the Well of Charon.
Nemesis Crest: new! You deal more damage striking foes from behind.
Eris Bangle: new! You deal more damage to undamaged foes.
Nail of Talos: new! You deal more damage against armor.
Aether Net: new! You start Encounters with your God Gauge partly full.
Stygian Shard: new! Traps deal significantly more damage to your foes.
Skeletal Lure: new! Guarantee a Fishing Point at the next possible location
Night Spindle: new! Gain • 1 use of your Chthonic Companion
📢 Flame Wheels Release: new! Guarantee Flame Wheels will not appear
📢 Kiss of Styx: now only offered if you are missing a Death Defiance charge
📢 Charon sometimes sells Gemstones (only when he would have offered Darkness, Chthonic Keys, or Nectar)

Pact of Punishment

📢 Routine Inspection: no longer prevents getting Fated Authority charges during an escape attempt
📢 Forced Overtime: added foe-specific limitations in cases where this was particularly unfair...
📢 Benefits Package: reduced how much bonus Armor could be provided by the Bruiser Perk

House Contractor

• Added dozens of new jobs to order with your hard-earned Gemstones and Diamonds, such as...
Bat Cage, All-Seeing: survey the entire House with these specially-trained reconnaissance bats
Aquarium, Cubical: since all those river-denizens you're procuring out there do need a place to live...
Sundial, Imported: surely this will settle the mystery of whether it is day or night at any given point...
Gallery Paintings, Landscapes, and Portraits: revamped gallery space with bigger, bolder images
Darker Thirst: speaking of hard-earned Gemstones, this new upgrade lets you hard-earn them faster
Downgraded the poor House Contractor's work desk, even after all that (though you can upgrade it)

Fated List of Minor Prophecies

Divided by Death: new! Help settle a difficult matter between Achilles and the Fallen Warrior
The Preserver's Avatar: new! Bring the Aspect of Rama to the surface
The Dragon's Rival: new! Bring the Aspect of Beowulf to the surface
The Dawn Bringer: new! Bring the Aspect of L------ to the surface
Amusing Chaos: new! Vanquish the Final Boss bearing the Cosmic Egg
Sea-God's Spite: new! Vanquish Theseus using Extreme Measures (Pact) for Poseidon
War-God's Bloodlust: new! Slay how many foes for Ares?
Customer Loyalty: new! Purchase each of Charon's goods
A Friendly Wager: new! Prevail in a certain battle twice without failing for Hermes
• Updated requirements to fulfill several other Prophecies (won't affect you if you've already fulfilled them)

Permanent Record & Security Log

📢 The Security Log now shows your Mirror and Pact configuration per escape attempt

Level Design & Environments

• Added new chambers to Tartarus, Asphodel, Elysium, and the Temple of Styx
• Updated the layout of Charon's shops to make room for a certain item that appears from time to time...
• Other minor fixes and improvements to various chambers

Art & Visual FX

• Updated main menu based on new Major Update
• Added new portrait and character model for Charon
• Added new portrait variant for the Fallen Warrior
• Added new portrait variant for Zagreus
• Added new character models for Achilles, Orpheus, Sisyphus, and Skelly
• Added new animations for Achilles, Sisyphus, Hypnos, Nyx, and more
• Updated Bone Hydra look and animations; each type of head is more distinct
• Updated artwork and visual effects in various chambers
• Updated visual presentation making contact with Olympians
• Updated visual presentation initiating Trials of the Gods
• Updated the Tartarus Overlook in the House Courtyard
• Updated various other assets in the House of Hades, such as the Prince's Wall-Scrolls
• Added visual effects dashing from the Pool of Styx in the House of Hades
• Added a unique chamber preview icon for the transitional chambers between regions
• Added visual effect for the appearance of Duo and Legendary Boons
• Added new look variations for some types of information panels (e.g. forging bonds with characters)
• Updated visual effect for enhanced rewards
• Updated Skelly's animations using Companion Rib
• Updated visual effects for equippable Infernal Arms in the Courtyard
• Updated the look of the Mirror of Night object in the Prince's Bedchambers
• Updated the look of the Underworld Map
• Updated the look of Chaos' Boon
• Updated the look of Inspect Points
• Updated the look of selection indicator in some menu screens
• Improved visual effects when striking armored foes
• Improved some visual effects on the Fury Sisters
• Improved presentation fulfilling Prophecies about bringing Legendary Aspects to the surface
• Improved presentation buying out Sealed Documents from the House Contractor
• Improved look of going through chamber exits in the Temple of Styx
• Many other visual fixes and improvements

Menus & UI

📢 Improved messaging and feedback in the Pause menu when choosing between Quit and Give Up
• Updated some formatting on the Keepsake Screen
📢 Some powers with range-specific bonuses show an indicator on their aim previews
• Fixed Underworld Map showing mystery rewards after clearing the highest Heat level for rewards
• Improved feedback on successful Backstab attacks
• Updated feedback activating Ruthless Reflex (Mirror) (enhanced the visual, removed the text)
• Added Info button on the Pact screen for a reminder about how it works
• Updated presentation when new Boons and other powers are added to the sidebar
• Updated some tooltips on the Mirror of Night
• Added improved error messaging if auto-save fails for any reason
• Other minor fixes, changes, and improvements

Music & SFX

• Added a new music track for a certain new encounter...
• Added many new sound effects to various contexts (such as the new foes and Legendary Aspects)
• Updated sound effects for Theseus and The Minotaur
• Updated sound effects for the Final Boss
• Updated sound effects using the barges in Asphodel
• Updated impact sounds on foes (so they are distinct from impact sounds on the player)
• Updated interact sounds for each Olympian Boon and some other rewards
• Updated some sound effects while using the Rod of Fishing
• Updated audio presentation for Olympian Aid effects
• Fixed some Asphodel obstacles missing impact sounds
• Minor improvements to Eurydice song scripting after completing her subplot with Orpheus
• Other minor changes, fixes, and mix improvements

Voice & Narrative

• Added many new narrative events, some for nearly every character (with ~3,500 new voice lines!)
• Extended Affinity Gauges for Achilles, Cerberus, Charon, Poseidon, Hypnos, Hermes, Athena, Ares, Dionysus, and the Fallen Warrior (you can give them more gifts)
• Added Duo Boon interactions for all Olympian pairings that didn't already have them
• Added many, many new Zagreus voice lines to various contexts for additional variety
• Added Codex entries for various new Perilous Foes and Artifacts, plus a new Fable
• Added a number of new Inspect Points to new chambers and some House Contractor items
• Updated dozens of older Zagreus voice lines for performance consistency
• Updated Codex entries for Achilles and the Fallen Warrior
📢 Added still another new Early Access Ending variant
• Spurned Olympians will speak over the death presentation if you perish during a Trial of the Gods
Chaos will speak over the death presentation if you perish after taking damage from a curse
• Added emote animations and other minor improvements to various narrative events
• Updated requirements and other minor changes to various narrative events
• Fixes and tuning to various contextual voice events

New Settings

📢 Added Bright Cursor setting to Settings menu; it can make the mouse cursor easier to spot
• Added VSync setting to Display menu; toggling can help improve performance in some cases

Miscellaneous

• Updated Development Roadmap to reflect our plans for our next v1.0 Launch, slated for later this year
• Added more translated text content in supported languages (translations are ongoing for newer content)
• Added Community Translators to Credits (Thank you for all your efforts!!)
• Added more Community Contributors to Credits (We really appreciate your support!!)
• Reduced minimum system requirement to DirectX 10 (was DirectX 10.1)
📢 After Thanatos encounters, he will sometimes teleport toward the chamber exit to get there faster
Thanatos now shows an invulnerable effect when struck
• Reduced requirements to unlock Perilous Foes entries in the Codex
Infernal Trove pedestals should interact with projectile attacks more consistently
📢 Sisyphus gives more Darkness
📢 Added more contextual tips when learning to use the Rod of Fishing
📢 The gameplay timer now stops during Thanatos encounters
📢 You now can pet Cerberus without having to give him Nectar
📢 The Keepsake Screen has unique messages for each character with whom you forge a bond
• The crowd has more dynamic reactions in the final chamber in Elysium
• The Head Chef in the House of Hades now cuts onions ceaselessly
• You now can interact with the Featured House-Servant Wall in the Lounge; more characters eligible
• You now can interact with the Motivational Wall-scrolls in the Administrative Chamber
• You now can irritate caged shades in Tartarus
• Tuned interact distances on some characters and House of Hades objects
• Removed the shimmering halo on the portrait of Lord Hades (the Olympians can have it)
• Shades in the House of Hades have more to say
• Improved presentation confronting the Tiny Vermin in the Temple of Styx
• Improved presentation exiting the Administrative Chamber in the House of Hades
• Updated flavor text on various screens
• Updated boss nameplates in some encounters
📢 Various text fixes, updates, and clarifications

Bug Fixes

📢 Fixed Aphrodite's Affinity Gauge sometimes not unlocking as intended
• Fixed an issue where Black Out (Dionysus) would sometimes not apply its damage bonus
• Fixed unintended interactions using Aspect of Hera with Auto Reload (Hermes)
• Fixed an issue where Boon icons could remain stuck onscreen
• Fixed incorrect icon for Exit Wounds (Artemis)
• Fixed presentation issues with Boon upgrade feedback while using Rare Crop (Demeter)
• Fixed an issue preventing situational Chthonic Companion Summon voice lines from playing
• Fixed minor animation issues with Hypnos and Dusa
📢 Many, many, many other minor fixes

Bug Additions

• Hopefully not too many, thanks to our diligent Beta Testers!

Quote of the Patch
'Never, never again shall I return from Hades once you have given me the soothing rites of fire. Never again will you and I, alive and breathing, huddle side-by-side, apart from loyal comrades, making plans together--never...' ~The Iliad (Homer; R. Fagles translation)

Note: You should see v0.31666 in-game once you have the update.

Early Access Patch 043 -- v0.27191


This patch contains more localized text and improvements following this month's Nighty Night Update. Thank you for playing and for your feedback, and see you again for our next Major Update in June!

Note: 📢 indicates a change inspired by community feedback!

Foes & Encounters

📢 'Trial of the Gods': reduced move speed penalty applied by Demeter's attack if you spurn her
📢 Splitter: will not retreat as far onto magma pools; reverted change from last patch that made them less likely to retreat (this had some negative side effects we expect to address in a future update)
Tiny Vermin: fixes and tuning to some behaviors of this recently-added Temple of Styx mini-boss

Keepsakes & Items

📢 Companion Rib (Skelly): increased health for summoned companion

Level Design & Environments

• Minor fixes and improvements to various chambers

Art & Visual FX

• Updated visual for the Permanent Record object in the Admin Chamber
• Improved look of the defensive aura expiring with the Stygian Blade (Arthur Aspect)
• Other minor fixes and improvements

Music & SFX

• Added sound effects for shades pleading their cases to Lord Hades
• Updated sound effects for recently-updated 'There Is No Escape' and 'Boss Vanquished' messages
• Updated sound for Ice Wine (Demeter x Dionysus)
📢 Updated ambient sound in the Admin Chamber
📢 Updated ambient sound during Remembrance sequences
• Other minor changes and improvements

Voice & Narrative

• Extended Affinity Gauge for Aphrodite (you can give her more gifts)
Primordial Chaos now sometimes speaks via the Shield of Chaos (Chaos Aspect) after a certain point...
• Added more contextual voice lines for the Permanent Record and Security Log screens
📢 Reduced the requirement for the newer Flashback Sequence (it can occur sooner than before)
• Adjustment some Inspect Points in the newer Flashback Sequence
• Fixed scripting issues with the recently added subplot between Nyx and Dusa
• Fixed some losing-streak events for certain bosses playing too infrequently if you met the requirements
• Fixed Lord Hades judgment voice lines conflicting with his House Contractor purchase voice lines
• Fixed Hypnos consolation event for dying to the effects of Tight Deadline (Pact) not playing
• Other minor fixes and tuning to various events

Miscellaneous

• Added more localized strings for Nighty Night Update content (thank you, Community Translators!)
• Added a Victory Screen Commendation, Legendary Boon Boy, for clears with many Legendary Boons
• Updated requirements for Victory Screen Commendations that were too frequent or infrequent
• Improved presentation for vanquishing the Tiny Vermin in the Temple of Styx
• Improved presentation timing for successive encounters with said Tiny Vermin
• Improvements to scrolling in the Permanent Record screen
• Improved House Contractor purchase presentation for Administrative Privilege and Eldest Sigil
• Added preview icon for the Bloodless Sculpture in the House Contractor screen
• Minor text changes and fixes

Bug Fixes

• Fixed a rare progression blocker on a specific event path with the Fallen Warrior in Elysium
• Fixed rare cases where boss damage limits between phases could be bypassed at the start of fights
📢 Fixed issues interacting with Eurydice after the conclusion of her subplot with Orpheus
📢 Fixed a rare issue where Zagreus and the final boss could die at the same time (there can only be one)
📢 Fixed visual issues where Zagreus could get stuck in the firing animation with the Bow
• Fixed visual issues with Long Knuckle (Daedalus - Fists)
• Fixed UI for Nectar sometimes remaining visible between chambers
• Fixed shades in the final chamber of Elysium sometimes facing the wrong way
• Fixed some trap interactions with the defensive aura created by the Stygian Blade (Arthur Aspect)
• Fixed not being able to scroll to the Fated Persuasion (Mirror) ability in the Well of Charon
• Fixed an Inspect Point that was not appearing after the battle with Megaera
• Other minor fixes

Quote of the Patch
"'True, Zeus shrank from doing a thing to outrage rushing Night.'" ~The Iliad (Homer; R. Fagles translation)

Early Access Patch 042 -- v0.27008


Following last week's Nighty Night Update, this patch packs more balance changes, fixes, improvements, and story events. Expect another patch before we shift focus to our next Major Update.

Note: 📢 indicates a change inspired by community feedback!

Infernal Arms, Aspects, & Abilities

📢 Stygian Blade: Nova special fires in the direction of the cursor (default mouse-and-keyboard settings)
📢 Stygian Blade (Arthur Aspect): adjusted hitboxes to better match attack visuals; defensive aura prevents floor traps from activating; defensive aura briefly flashes before it expires
📢 Eternal Spear (Guan Yu Aspect): fixed issues where changes to max life were not always correct

Boons & Blessings

Heaven's Vengeance (Zeus): improved scaling from Poms
Sunken Treasure (Poseidon): increased prerequisites (it should not be offered as early in a run)
Holy Shield (Athena): improved scaling from Poms
Merciful End (Athena x Ares) : fixed it sometimes not being offered by Ares
Curse of Vengeance (Ares): improved scaling from Poms
Wave of Despair (Aphrodite): increased damage; reduced damage radius; improved scaling from Poms
Dual Shot (Artemis): reduced power left; reduced power scaling from Poms
Fully Loaded (Artemis): increased prerequisites (it should not be offered as early in a run)
Winter's Harvest (Demeter): increased prerequisites (it should not be offered as early in a run)
Flayed (Chaos): fixed an issue preventing it from affecting the Fists' Dash-Upper

Daedalus Hammer Upgrades

Piercing Volley (Bow): increased damage to Armor
Relentless Barrage (Bow): fixed greater-than-intended shot count with Aspect of Chiron
Rush Kick (Fists): reduced damage; slightly increased charge-up time
📢 Draining Cutter (Fists): life-drain effect now also activates from Aspect of Talos magnetic pull
📢 Quake Cutter (Fists): reduced damage; stomp now modified by Boon effects

Foes & Encounters

Thanatos: fixed Shattered Shackle (Sisyphus) boosting his damage unintentionally
📢 Splitter: less likely to retreat over magma pools

Mirror of Night

Fated Persuasion: after using it, you will now always be offered at least one new selection

Keepsakes & Items

Lambent Plume (Hermes): timer now should stop reliably as soon as bosses are vanquished
📢 Companion Fidi (Dusa): projectiles no longer slowed by your abilities
• Fixed several cases when Summon abilities could be used while they were meant to be disabled

Pact of Punishment

📢 Benefits Package: banned certain Perks from certain types of foes

Permanent Record & Security Log

• The screen formerly known as the Permanent Record is now called the Security Log
Permanent Record: new! Shows progress with weapons, Boons, and more (find it in the Admin Chamber)
Note: This is a first-pass version of this screen, which we expect to continue improving in subsequent Major Updates

Level Design & Environments

• Adjusted layout in smaller chambers in Asphodel (those added in the Nighty Night Update)
• Fixed Brimstones being able to fly out of bounds in a certain Tartarus chamber
• Other minor fixes and improvements to various chambers

Art & Visual FX

📢 Further adjustments to the look of Olympian Boon pick-ups, making their colors more distinct
• Added new character model for the Fallen Warrior in Elysium
• Added animations for Lord Hades while judging shades gathered in the Great Hall
• Updated animation for Skelly when summoned by Companion Rib
• Updated animation for Dusa when summoned by Companion Fidi
• Updated visual effects for some upgrades, abilities, and animations for the Twin Fists
• Updated icons for some Mirror of Night Talents
• Added more animations for the new mini-boss encounter in the Temple of Styx

Music & SFX

📢 Improved audio feedback when activating Ruthless Reflex (Mirror)
• Added material sounds to some objects in Asphodel
• Other minor changes and improvements

Voice & Narrative

• Added new events to a subplot between Nyx and Dusa
• Added more dialogue events with Nyx, Chaos, Artemis, Zeus, Aphrodite, Achilles, and others
• Minor fixes and tuning to various events

Miscellaneous

• Added and updated more localized strings for content from the Nighty Night Update
📢 Reduced requirements to fully unlock River Denizens entries in the Codex
📢 Updated placement of fishing points in various chambers
📢 Updated placement of Infernal Troves in various chambers
📢 Updated placement of Chaos Gates and Infernal Gates in various chambers
• The Eldest Sigil has an updated look after you restore it through the House Contractor
• Shades in the Administrative Chamber may emote from time to time
• Added unique tutorial objectives in the Courtyard while using Aspect of Demeter (Fists)
• Removed the Triathlete Victory Screen Commendation, which was appearing too often
• Minor presentation improvements when purchasing Eldest Sigil Restoration and Administrative Privilege from the House Contractor
• Minor formatting improvements to Security Log screen
• Minor text changes and fixes

Bug Fixes

📢 Fixed an issue where you could get limited Cast ammo using Routine Inspection (Pact)
📢 Fixed various display issues with Nourished Soul (Demeter)
📢 Fixed visual effects not appearing correctly with Flying Cutter (Daedalus - Fists)
📢 Fixed Boon Info not appearing reliably while interacting with characters such as Sisyphus
• Fixed a graphical issue with Valuable Urns in Asphodels
• Fixed a graphical issue unlocking new Mirror of Night Talents
• Fixed audiovisual issues with Ice Wine (Demeter x Dionysus)
📢 Fixed requirements for fulfilling Close at Heart (Fated List)
📢 Fixed requirements for fulfilling Goddess of Seasons (Fated List)
📢 Fixed voice lines sometimes not playing when encountering the Bone Hydra
📢 Fixed voice lines not playing reliably after making purchases from the House Contractor
📢 Fixed incorrect instruction text appearing in some contexts in the Pact of Punishment
• Other minor fixes

Quote of the Patch
'Then he drew his sword Excalibur, but it was so bright in his enemies’ eyes, that it gave light like thirty torches. And therewith he put them a-back, and slew much people.' ~Le Morte D'Arthur (Thomas Malory; A. W. Pollard translation)

Early Access Patch 041 -- v0.26833


This patch contains bug fixes, art and UI improvements, and new story events, following yesterday's Nighty Night Update. We expect to patch again in the coming days. Thank you for playing!

Note: 📢 indicates a change inspired by community feedback!

Infernal Arms, Aspects, & Abilities

Twin Fists: improved input buffering after flurry attack; reduced hit pause on Cutter special and Dash-Special (note: this was added as part of a hotfix yesterday)

Boons & Blessings

Huge Catch (Poseidon): this recently added Legendary Boon now has a chance to be offered in subsequent escape attempts following its unique introduction event

Foes & Encounters

Skull-Crusher: slightly adjusted attack timing under the effect of Middle Management (Pact)
Megagorgon: reduced Blink ability timing variance under the effect of Middle Management (Pact)

Pact of Punishment

📢 Benefits Package: banned certain Perks from certain types of foes; reduced bonus Armor from Bruiser Perk

Level Design & Environments

📢 Removed several urns that had no real business being in the Final Boss chamber
• Minor improvements to one of the new chambers in Asphodel

Art & Visual FX

📢 Further improvements to the look of Olympian Boon pick-ups, making Olympians easier to spot
• Added unique visuals for text presentation when Zagreus dies
• Added unique visuals for text presentation when Zagreus vanquishes a boss
• Added animations for the new mini-boss encounter in the Temple of Styx
• Improved visual effects on Twin Fists (Demeter) Giga Cutter special
• Added unique icon for Broken Resolve (Aphrodite)
• Slightly reduced the visual size of the interact object for the Shield of Chaos out in the Courtyard

Menus & UI

📢 Adjusted Armored foes' health bars so depleted Armor looks more distinct from depleted Life
📢 Updated damage numbers presentation so Critical numbers appear on their own
📢 Updated Cast tooltip while using Stygian Soul (Mirror)

Music & SFX

• Updated sound effects for Twin Fists (Demeter) Giga Cutter special
• Updated sound effects for the new mini-boss encounter in Temple of Styx
• Other minor changes

Voice & Narrative

• Added quite a few more narrative events with and about Nyx
• Added more Inspect Points to the Admin Chamber
• Minor fixes and tuning to various events

Miscellaneous

• Added some additional localized strings for content updated or introduced in the Nighty Night Update
• Updated Credits with additional Community Contributors
• Various minor text fixes and presentation improvements

Bug Fixes

📢 Fixed a game freeze that could occur when multiple characters speak simultaneously
📢 Fixed a crash involving assembled shades in the House of Hades
📢 Fixed several other crashes reported by users
📢 Fixed music issues and soft locks as part of the Orpheus & Eurydice subplot
• Fixed an issue where the incorrect Olympian appeared in one of the new Duo Boon conversations
• Fixed tooltips not reliably showing up while mouse-highlighting Talents in the Mirror of Night
• Fixed incorrect Dash-Strike visuals using Twin Fists (Talos)
• Fixed Affinity Gauge unlock animation not appearing as expected with certain characters
• Fixed an issue where insufficient Darkness was refunded in some cases (involving the Pact)
📢 Fixed incorrect text appearing in some Death Defiance tooltips
• Fixed a pathfinding issue with Thanatos in a certain chamber in Asphodel
• Fixed a visual issue with some door animations in the Temple of Styx
• Fixed an issue in Thanatos encounters with Benefits Package (Pact) where you got credit for slaying self-destructing Exalted Shades
• Fixed Skelly sometimes talking while Skelly was already in the middle of talking
• Minor art and visual effect fixes
• Minor text fixes

Quote of the Patch
'Goddess of phantoms and of shadowy play, whose drowsy pow'r divides the nat'ral day: By Fate's decree you constant send the light to deepest hell, remote from mortal sight' ~The Hymns of Orpheus - "To Night" (T. Taylor translation)