Getting to the Surface in Hades 2 is a complicated process requiring two separate Incantations to unlock the path and then survive up there. The ward in the Crossroads blocks a set of stairs up to the Surface world, so bringing that down is your first challenge. After that, you've got to overcome the family curse in Hades 2 to stop Melinoe dying within minutes of leaving the Underworld. To help you begin the long trek towards Olympus – which isn't in the current Hades 2 early access build – here's what you need to know about unlocking the Surface in Hades 2.
How to unlock the Hades 2 Surface path
After a request for help defending Mount Olympus from Hermes, Melinoe makes it her mission to reach the Surface and the mountain of the Gods (as well as defeating the Titan of Time). However, getting there is no easy feat as you need to perform two Incantations with very particular ingredients to properly unlock the Surface path, both of which are given to you by Lord Moros. Once you've cast those, you can attempt to clear this new area, which has its own enemies, characters, bosses, and resources.
Be aware that there is no Mount Olympus Region currently in Hades 2, so you cannot complete the Surface run. Because of this, your Surface runs will be forcibly ended after beating the second Guardian boss, sending Melinoe back to the Crossroads. Based on the Hades 2 roadmap, it's likely that Olympus will be added to the game in a major update.
How to remove the ward in the Crossroads in Hades 2
By speaking to Moros by the Fated List after meeting Hermes a few times, he'll share the Permeation of Witching-Wards Incantation, letting you cast it at the cauldron if you have the right ingredients. Doing so will break the ward protecting the gateway leading up to the Surface, letting you venture up there. For this Incantation, you need:
- 1 Cinder – Obtained from defeating Hecate in Hades 2 during a run.
- 1 Shadow – Brewed in the Crossroads cauldron with the Shadow Extraction alchemy recipe, which requires 30 Ash, 30 Psyche, and 3 Fated Fabric.
- 3 Moly – Moly flowers are easily gathered in Erebus. Cannot be collected when the Rainfall modifier is active.
With the ward gone, head over to the gateway in the training area of the Crossroads and begin a run on the Surface. Things won't go well as you'll find that Melinoe can't hang around for long, taking increasingly large chunks of damage every few seconds.
How to survive on the Surface in Hades 2
The next step is to find a way to alleviate the Underworld curse on Melinoe. After your first run on the Surface, Speak to Moros when you return to the Crossroads to get another Incantation – Unraveling of a Fateful Bond. Once cast, this entirely removes the damage-over-time effect, letting you run through the Surface world without taking damage. To cast this Incantation, you need:
- 2 Lotus – A flower gathered in Oceanus.
- 2 Moss – Gathered on the Surface. There is always one Moss in the first area you arrive in when starting a Surface run.
- 2 Nightshade – Grown from Nightshade Seeds which can be dug up in Erebus.
- 2 Thalamus – The Hades 2 Thalamus plant is grown from Origin Seeds found in Chaos.
Now that you no longer suffer the effects of the Hades family curse, it's time to battle Chronos' forces along the way to Olympus. You'll start by entering the ruined City of Ephyra, where you must head into different encounters spinning off from a central square – keep an eye out for Hades 2 Bronze and a few new Hades 2 characters while you're here. Complete six encounters and destroy their pylons to open the path to boss fight in this area, then onwards to the next Region, the Rift of Thessaly.
The Rift is a weird Region in that you teleport to a warship then fight several encounters in a row before teleporting to the next warship, and so on until you reach the shore. Hades 2 Iron has a chance to spawn on these ships or the helpful islands in between, but there's also a chance you can face the sea monster boss Charybdis, which can make this area extra tough. Once you reach the shore, you'll have to battle Eris in Hades 2, which can be brutal – she has a gun! As mentioned, there's nothing beyond the Rift of Thessaly yet, so it's back to the Crossroads you go for now.
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