Five Years On, The Hades Fanbase Built Its Own Greek Mythology

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Today, September 17, 2025, marks the 10-year anniversary of *Hades*. We’re taking a look at how fans have embraced the game and Greek mythology, creating a thriving community of writers and modders.

Most people are only familiar with a handful of characters from Greek mythology. The story of Hercules – or Heracles, as he was known in Greece – is one of the most well-known, and has been shared for hundreds of years in books, and more recently in films, television, and even music, like Michael Bolton’s famous song.

Most people today are familiar with the basic stories of Greek gods like Zeus, the powerful king of the gods, and Hades, ruler of the underworld. We also know figures like Poseidon, Athena, Icarus, and Apollo. But these well-known characters represent just a small part of a much larger and more complex collection of myths. The world of Olympus included thousands of gods and stories, many of which aren’t as famous as the ones we see in movies and TV.

One reason the game *Hades* (released in 2020) felt so new and exciting was its focus. Instead of featuring well-known Greek gods like Zeus or Hercules, the game centers on Zagreus, a lesser-known son of Hades. This allowed *Hades* to tell a fresh story about family, fighting against expectations, and never giving up, all from the perspective of a character most people hadn’t heard of. This creative choice not only revitalized Greek mythology for new players, but also inspired longtime fans to delve deeper into its lesser-known stories.

I’m totally obsessed with Hades because it gets the Greek gods *so* right. They aren’t these perfect, untouchable beings-they’re flawed, they argue, and they feel very human. It’s really clever how the game takes these famous myths and characters and adds new layers, even giving some of the lesser-known gods a chance to shine. And honestly, the fact that you’re meant to die a lot isn’t frustrating at all! It actually fits perfectly with all the stories about cycles of life, death, and rebirth from ancient Greece. It feels like the game *understands* the myths it’s playing with.

The constant cycle of dying encouraged players to spend a lot of time exploring the Underworld areas like the House of Hades and Tartarus. Some of these players have also created their own unique versions of the gods and goddesses of Mount Olympus.

Enjoying Hades and eagerly awaiting Hades 2? The OlympusExtra mod offers even more content! ApolloExtra launched last May, and now the full version of HestiaExtra is here! You can find it at

— OlympusExtra (@OlympusExtra) January 20, 2023

Apollo greets Zagreus, saying, “Hey ZagZag. I hope you don’t mind me calling you that… unless you do, in which case, come find me and let me know!” This interaction is thanks to the OlympusExtra mod.

OlympusExtra expands the world of Hades by adding new content focused on the gods Apollo, Hestia, Hephaestus, and Hera – characters not featured in the original game. It introduces new boons (special abilities), voice acting, and artwork, and tells stories about what each god was doing during the events of Hades as Zagreus attempts to learn the truth about his family and escape the Underworld.

According to physiXPlays, a co-creator of the OlympusExtra mod, players can jump right into the new content. It includes story elements that fit seamlessly into the existing game, and the new gods will even react to your progress as you play.

Lots of fans have been inspired by the art in Supergiant Games’ titles to create their own versions of characters from Greek mythology, such as Hera, Hercules, Lype, and Keres. Often, these fan creations put a new spin on how these figures are traditionally described in ancient stories and writings.

Even though Hades is a realm of torment filled with figures like Megaera, it surprisingly feels lively and inviting. This has inspired players to personalize the game’s underworld, decorating it with their own unique artwork and creations that reflect their personalities. Many players have even grown to see the gods – like Dionysus, Aphrodite, and Ares – as close friends.

Would you accept her help?
by u/Bokdan0 in HadesTheGame

Hades quickly became a huge success for independent game developers. By early 2021, it had sold over a million copies, and continued to gain popularity, eventually appearing on almost every gaming platform – including Netflix’s mobile app. Critics loved the game from the start, and in 2021, it made history as the first video game to win a Hugo Award, a prestigious prize usually reserved for literary works. The award recognized not only how fun the game was to play, but also its thoughtful story, which explored themes of loss, strength, and challenging family relationships within the context of an escape from the underworld.

Even after five years, players are still passionately exploring the world of Hades, determined to escape to the surface, though Persephone is no longer waiting there. The interactions with characters like Sisyphus and Achilles feel surprisingly genuine and impactful.

Supergiant Games decided to revisit Greek mythology with Hades 2 because there are still countless stories to explore. They’ve added characters like Apollo and Hestia – fulfilling a longtime wish of the OlympusExtra community – and introduced dozens of other new faces, including Melinoë.

Melinoë, like Zagreus in the first game, isn’t a character the developers created from scratch. She’s based on a figure from ancient Greek mythology, believed to be connected to Hades. Supergiant Games, in a recent blog post, explained that the limited mythology surrounding Melinoë sparked their interest in telling her story and exploring her family ties, allowing them to further develop their vision of the Underworld.

Honestly, when I first started reading about the Greek gods, it struck me how much their stories felt like a really epic family drama! There’s *always* something going on – tons of drama, and sometimes it feels a bit over the top. But forget everyday problems, these guys are dealing with things like kidnappings, hidden siblings, and even…well, let’s just say some pretty dark stuff like cannibalism. It’s a wild ride, but it’s fascinating to see how these ancient myths still grab you!

Hades presented a remarkably engaging and accessible take on classic mythology. Its influence continues today with the release of Hades 2 and the thriving fan community, which constantly expands the game’s world with new gods and characters from myth.

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2025-09-17 17:41