Hades 2: how to go to the surface

How to go to the surface and break the curse to survive there in Hades 2

City of Ephyra / Supergiant Games

Clearly, the folks at Supergiant Games took the name Hades 2 seriously, as there is not just one set of runs for you to do, but two. While your main quest is to reach the depths of the Underworld and confront Chronos, you will quickly catch wind of his minions launching attacks on Olympus itself, and you’ll have the option to go and help.

Your way is blocked at first, it is possible for you to break through and venture onto a whole new journey on the surface, with your goal being the peak of Mount Olympus. We’ll explain how to break the ward blocking your path, and how to survive once you’re up there.

How to break the ward to the surface in Hades 2

Surface portal / Supergiant Games

The ward for the surface in Hades 2 will prevent you from going up there for quite a while. As you perform enough runs in the Underworld and progress further, eventually a conversation with Hecate will unlock an incantation that will break the ward. To perform it, you will need the following:

• 1 Cinder 
• 1 Shadow
• 3 Moly

Cinder is the resource you get for beating Hecate in Erebus, so you should have plenty by the time you reach this point in the game. Similarly, Moly is the yellow flower you can find scattered around Erebus, in any room. They’re quite easy to spot against the dark background, so if you don’t have enough, just keep an eye out as you make each run.

Shadow is a little more complicated, as you have to craft it in the cauldron. If you don’t already have the recipe, you need to talk to Chaos, because that’s who unlocks it. The recipe requires 30 Ash, 30 Psyche, and 3 Fate Fabric, all of which can be bought from the Wretched Broker in the Crossroads in exchange for bones.

Do that and viola! The ward is broken, but there’s a problem. Due to Melione’s status as princess of the underworld, she cannot survive on the surface, so your health will quickly drain away. There is a way around this though.

How to survive on the surface in Hades 2

City of Ephyra / Supergiant Games

To survive you will need to complete yet another incantation, which will unlock once you die on the surface for the first time. This incantation is a little more complicated, requiring:

• 2 Lotus
• 2 Moss
• 2 Nightshade
• 2 Thalamus

Lotus can be picked from the ground in Oceanus, the second area of the Underworld – this is a bright white flower to look out for. Nightshade can be grown from seeds in your garden, if you don’t have any seeds, take the Silver Shovel with you and dig in the soil in Erebus.

Moss is more complicated, as it’s only found on the surface – that’s right, the same place that quickly kills you. Thankfully, moss is pretty common in the first couple of areas on the surface, so you should be able to pick up the two moss you need in just a couple of trips. Finally, Thalamus is the most elusive of these resources, which is why we’ve put a full guide together for how to find Thalamus in Hades 2.

Complete that incantation and you’re done, you’ll be able to have full runs on the surface unhindered. While the eventual intention is for the surface to be just as long as the Underworld, it currently only has two full sections, ending after the second major boss fight. Those two areas are quite unique though, so it’s still worth pushing all the way through.