Supergiant Games is celebrating Hades II's anniversary by pulling back the curtain on how the whole thing got made. The studio has partnered with Noclip on a multi-part documentary about the making of Hades II, and it's one piece of a bigger anniversary celebration that includes some new releases too.

If you've never watched a Noclip documentary, you're missing out on some of the most respectful, genuinely curious games journalism out there. Beyond confirming the multi-part format and the subject, Supergiant hasn't said exactly what the episodes will cover, which just leaves room to hope. You can catch the full rundown of what's planned over at Invenglobal's coverage.

Hades II always felt like a high-wire act to me. The first Hades was a once-in-a-studio lightning strike, and asking a team to follow that up, with all the expectations that come with it, could've gone sideways in a dozen ways. It didn't. And now we get to hear from the people who made it, in their own words, about how that whole ride felt.

The anniversary is bringing new releases alongside the documentary, so this celebration looks forward as well as back. In my experience Supergiant is one of the few developers where an anniversary announcement feels like a gift rather than a marketing calendar item, and I say that as someone who's been playing their stuff since Bastion.

I'll always have a soft spot for making-of stories like this. The best ones remind you that games, especially games built by a team this tight-knit, are made by people arguing about voice lines and worrying whether a boss fight feels fair. It's the same energy that makes a good raid team click, honestly. Everybody's invested.

Watch Noclip's channels and Supergiant's own site for the rollout details as they're announced. If you've got even a passing love for Hades II, this one's an easy watch when it lands. Ever gone back and read old patch notes from a game you love, just to feel that history? Same vibe. Don't miss it.