Hades 2 Early Access Patch 2 brings balance changes and many reworks

The second Early Access patch for Hades 2 has arrived to the slam of a Volcanic Strike. It brings many changes, from full weapon rebalance to Aspect reworks and more. Some Daedalus Hammers have been replaced, and the final fight may be less annoying. Or, maybe not?

Developer Supergiant Games dropped the Hades 2 Patch 2 notes yesterday. Many changes are pretty hefty, meaning you’ll probably experience a noticeably different Hades 2 from here on out. All five weapons got buffed, which is great. So, too, did Selene’s Hexes, which I’ve championed for a while now. But now they’re even better! Hopefully, the doubters will finally give Selene the chance she deserves.

Hades 2 Patch 2 changes affect weapons, Aspects, and icons

Weapons and Aspects

Every weapon in Hades 2 received a buff with Patch 2. A few of the changes are fairly minor: The Sister Blades’ stagger lasts longer against enemies, and the Witch’s Staff Omega Special charges faster. The Moonstone Axes’ Omega Special attack now gives Melinoe a lingering barrier so she doesn’t eat damage while charging it up.

But the one that got the most attention is undoubtedly the Umbral Flames. Yes, the weapon may finally be useful. The update boosts and speeds up its attacks and now lets you move while channeling the Omega Special.

Some Weapon Aspects have also been reworked. The Aspect of Melinoë on the Moonstone Axe adds Power and Life, while the Umbral Flames’ Aspect of Eos copies your Special move and fires a slow shot that blasts enemies.

But again, the Wands get a major change: The Aspect of Momus has been completely replaced. Using an Omega move with Momus will fire said move a few times in the place it was cast until you use it again. Some in the community predicted the change to Momus, as the Aspect was viewed as a bit broken when combined with the Daedalus Hammer upgrade, Double Moonshot.

Speaking of which, several Daedalus Hammer upgrades have been replaced. Double Wallop is gone, swapped out for Wicked Thrasher, which grants bonus Power to all attacks. There are some new Hammer upgrades, such as Flick Knives (Sister Blades), which fires Special knives in a fan pattern with every Dash-Strike.

New Keepsake icons

The patch has added icons for all 27 Keepsakes. This might not be a massive gameplay change, but I sure am happy to no longer see my cabinet filled to the brim with Sonic rings.

Check out the Hades 2 Patch 2 notes in their entirety when you get the chance (it’s a lot). Keep in mind that there are some spoilers, but Supergiant was kind enough to redact some just in case you’re still making your way through the game.