Hades 2 update leaves its biggest secret out of the patch notes: a new game mode

The latest Hades 2 update has introduced an entirely new game mode, but you wouldn't know it from reading the patch notes. I love it when developers sneak a surprise into their games without telling players up-front, but if you've already wrapped up your time with the roguelike you could be forgiven for glancing over these new Hades 2 patch notes and deciding there wasn't a big reason to come back. However, you'll probably want to return to the Crossroads once you see what Hypnos has in store.

Hades 2 Dream Dives are described by developer Supergiant as "a breezy alternative to your regular nightly routine that will always keep you guessing." They ramp up the randomization by pitting you against four regions in a randomly selected order, tossing out the usual methodical progression. The difficulty of enemies will ramp up with each subsequent zone you reach, helping to keep the curve feeling somewhat in line with the main game.

You'll take in whichever loadout you currently have equipped in the Training Grounds, much like you would in a standard run. Clearing regions in Dream Dives will earn you a currency called Shiny Stars, which you can spend on some special rewards. However, most other resources won't appear, and there's "no time for chit-chat," with dialogue before boon choices and guardian fights stripped out in favor of getting straight to the action.

To access the new mode, head to the dreamy bed that appears in the Training Grounds, and which provided our only hint to the addition in the patch notes. "Look for dreamy new decorative items in the Crossroads Training Grounds," Supergiant writes. Be warned that once you lie down, you'll be thrown straight into your first Dream Dive after a short introduction, so make sure you're prepared. You'll also naturally need to have completed the quest to wake Hypnos up before you can access any of this.

Outside of this sneaky addition, Hades 2 patch 2, which was just launched alongside the new PS5 and Xbox versions, packs in plenty more welcome inclusions. There are balance changes and boon buffs - Ares is the big winner, with a rework to his Legendary and several other more powerful upgrades. Personally, I'm most excited that "Poseidon now becomes increasingly enthusiastic as Sea Star activates more times," as if the bonus resources weren't already exciting enough.

There are also a range of relationship updates. New narrated events with special artwork for certain Fated Prophecy completions help to put a warmer capstone on characters like Odysseus and Arachne. The Crossroads cast can now be gifted hangout items (Bath Salts, Twin Lures, and Ambrosia) indefinitely after forging bonds, with "various brief new scenes" to discover. Icarus, meanwhile, should be a little easier to forge a bond with.

Characters who Melinoë can have "non-Platonic relations" with will now occasionally show interest in following up on those desires, giving a more long-term relationship vibe. Key scenes for both Moros and Nemesis have been made "less restrictive" to unlock. Then there are a wide range of new dialogue events scattered across most of the game, some of which are teased in the patch notes that we did get.

Hades 2 patch 2 and the Dream Dives game mode are live now. With this update landing alongside two new console launches, it naturally makes sense that it's a bit bigger, but I'm hopeful Supergiant has even more secrets up its sleeve for the future.