The second major Hades 2 update adds Ares, a cute new familiar, and a ‘final confrontation’ for the story

Developer Supergiant Games has dropped its second major update for Hades 2, returning Ares to the game, adding a new familiar, a final boss encounter, and too many changes to count. Oh! And you can now stop and sing a duet with Artemis while in the Crossroads. Probably should have led with that.

Anyway, the Warsong update brings new content and reworks across the board for Hades 2. That’s right: you have to re-learn some of the game again. This is what it’s like with Early Access development. The highlights of the update include the final fight on the surface with a new boss, the God of War Ares, a new familiar friend, revamps to Boons, the Altar of Ashes, resource gathering, menus, and more. The patch also includes 2,000 new voice lines and new dialogue events.

Hades 2 – Warsong update adds Ares and a feisty new familiar friend

The meat of the update is the one-two punch of a new god and the final boss fight. Fans have been clamoring to see the return of the war god since Hades 2 hit Early Access, and now their dreams have been realized. Ares arrives with a suite of new Boons (including Duo Boons) to enhance your gameplay, which should hopefully help in the fight against the new big bad. Supergiant is keeping the boss of Mount Olympus a secret, so you’ll need to get climbing to see how the surface story concludes.

The Warsong Update trailer offers a glimpse of the new familiar you can find in Hades 2. Those who have been playing the game for a while may have guessed its identity. The new familiar joins the rest, bringing the list of furry friends to five in total. As per the norm, you’ll need to figure out how to unlock the familiar before you can bring it on your quest to kill time.

The Hades 2 – Warsong Update patch notes are (ahem) super giant and cover gameplay changes, additions, and reworks. The developer revamped the Altar of Ashes, giving cards new effects and artwork. There are new Testaments for the Oath of the Unseen, Boons, and Daedalus Hammer upgrades. Some Boons, Hammer upgrades, and weapon abilities have also been reworked, which should certainly make new runs feel interesting again.

You should also expect plenty of changes to the Crossroads. The patch notes include a section called the Crossroads Renewal Project, which shouldn’t be taken lightly. Yes, you can invite Artemis for a singing duet, but there are many new changes, improvements, decorations, and more to check out.

As mentioned, the Warsong patch notes are lengthy. I haven’t even covered the new Cauldron Incantations and menu changes. Be sure to navigate to the patch notes page for more.