EXCLUSIVE INSIGHT: Supergiant Games on Choosing the Next Title After Hades 2 and Tackling Critical Industry Issues

The roguelike landscape has been fundamentally reshaped by Supergiant Games with the overwhelming success of Hades 2, which has garnered near-universal critical acclaim and set new standards for the genre’s narrative depth and gameplay mechanics. As the dust settles following the official v1.0 launch, the industry and the millions of dedicated players are left with a single, burning question: What’s next for the studio?

In a rare and candid interview, Supergiant’s leadership shed light on their uniquely iterative development process for selecting their next project, while also offering crucial insights into how their small, private studio has managed to not only survive but thrive amidst the swirling vortex of major video game industry issues like mass layoffs and the contentious rise of Artificial Intelligence in game development.

The Supergiant Method: The Game Is the Design Document

Unlike many large-scale AAA studios that adhere to rigid, multi-year roadmaps and detailed design documents for future projects, Supergiant Games approaches its creative future with a refreshing sense of organic flexibility. Studio Director Amir Rao emphasized a culture of intense focus on the current project, stating emphatically that for the team, “The game is the design document.”

• No Hades 3 Is Preordained: Despite the immense commercial and critical success of the Hades franchise, the developers confirmed that a third installment is not preordained or secretly in the works. The team’s philosophy is to pour all its creative energy into the game currently being made.
• The Post-Launch Incubation Period: The immediate focus remains on supporting Hades 2, addressing any necessary bug fixes, and closely monitoring player feedback from the 1.0 launch. Following this support phase, the team will take a much-needed break—a crucial, conscious decision to prevent developer burnout.
• Collective Creative Chemistry: The choice of the next game will not be dictated by market forces alone or a single executive vision. Instead, the process involves the small, tight-knit team collectively processing the learnings and experience of Hades 2 and figuring out “what that thing is that’s gonna make the most of us the most excited.” This highly personalized approach is key to maintaining the distinctive creative voice seen in critically acclaimed titles like Bastion, Transistor, and Pyre.

The commitment to iterative development, where ideas are tested in-game and refined based on human, real-world responses, is the core engine of their success. This highly agile process, particularly utilizing Early Access as a public testing ground, allows their creative direction to be shaped by what truly resonates with the players.

Navigating Industry Turbulence: Modesty and Long-Term Stability

The interview offered a poignant contrast between Supergiant’s stable trajectory and the current turmoil plaguing the broader video game industry. In a period defined by massive layoffs, studio closures, and aggressive pursuit of exponential growth by large publishers, Supergiant’s model is a beacon of sustainable development.

• Modest Growth and Team Retention: Creative Director Greg Kasavin pointed to the studio’s commitment to staying modest as a key factor in their resilience. Formed in 2009 with seven members, the studio has only grown to around 25 people, with all seven original founders remaining on the team. They have never conducted a major layoff and have avoided outside funding, giving them complete creative control and financial stability.
• Rejecting Growth for Growth’s Sake: Kasavin directly contrasted their strategy with the industry-wide rush during the COVID-19 pandemic, where many companies ramped up hiring dramatically only to perform massive layoffs later. Supergiant’s avoidance of pursuing “growth big for its own sake” has protected their core team and allowed them to deliver consistently high-quality products without the external pressures of shareholders and aggressive expansion targets.
• The AI Question: While not going into exhaustive detail, Supergiant has previously been proactive on a critical emerging issue: the use of Artificial Intelligence in voice acting and art. The studio has publicly stated that they offer some of the strongest AI protections in the industry to their contractors, underscoring their commitment to human talent and fair practices—a crucial stance in an era where fears of job displacement by AI tools are rampant among creatives.

Supergiant Games is living proof that a laser focus on creative excellence, prioritizing the well-being and stability of a small, talented team, and resisting the pressures of rapid, unsustainable expansion can lead to both critical and commercial success. As the gaming industry grapples with a volatile financial landscape, the Hades 2 developer’s approach stands as a powerful, and increasingly rare, model for independent game studios everywhere.

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