It’s no surprise that Hades 2 has been popular thanks to its moreish roguelike structure, engaging action gameplay, and diverse cast of likable (and extremely attractive) characters. It seems that success has rubbed on its predecessor too, as the first Hades managed to break its own concurrent player record on Steam over the weekend.
While it’s not managed to come close to its sequel’s record, the first Hades saw 54,240 concurrent players on Sunday, May 12 (as spotted by VG247), which is the most it’s ever had since its 2020 release. If you look at the data on SteamDB, you’ll see its player count began to shoot up around May 2 and May 3, just a few days before the early access launch of Hades 2 on May 6.
By comparison, Hades 2 reached 103,567 concurrent players less than a day after it came out. Since then, its player count has fluctuated, but it’s still attracting fans in the tens of thousands. At the time of writing, it has 59,110 players whereas the first Hades is sat at a still respectable 37,380 players.
So, why the sudden influx of players for Hades when its sequel is the new hotness? There’s no definitive answer, but I reckon there are a couple of factors. The first is probably newer fans who picked up Hades 2 without touching the original, now deciding to check it out. You arguably don’t need to play the first Hades to understand the plot of the sequel, but newcomers who’ve become engrossed in the setting and characters will want to know what came before.
The other reason is perhaps due to Hades 2 technically being unfinished. It may be jam-packed with content, but it is an early access game at the end of day, with it even lacking a decisive ending. As such, players who might’ve exhausted themselves on what Hades 2 currently offers may have returned to its predecessor to help ease the wait for future content. Developer Supergiant Games’ roadmap currently promises a true ending as well as more areas, characters, and a new main weapon.
If you’ve been playing Hades 2 non-stop since launch, I’d recommend giving the first game a look if you haven’t already. They may be very similar, but there are enough differences that make the first Hades its own beast compared to the sequel, including protagonist Zagreus’ playstyle. It’s also just a very good game that could keep you entertained all the way up until Hades 2‘s full release.
