The video game industry has faced a turbulent stretch, with mass layoffs, canceled projects, and studio closures dominating headlines. Concerns about artificial intelligence have added to the uncertainty. Yet in the midst of this, one smaller studio has not only survived but thrived: Supergiant Games, which just launched Hades II.
Founded in 2009 with only seven members—who all remain with the company today—Supergiant has now grown to 25 people. Remarkably, the studio has never gone through mass layoffs and has never accepted outside funding, according to The San Francisco Chronicle. So, how has the company achieved what so many others have not?
The Secret to Stability
Creative director Greg Kasavin, a former executive editor at GameSpot, explained that there’s no “magical explanation.” Instead, he credits Supergiant’s stability to modest goals and a strong emphasis on teamwork.
“I do attribute it to the value that we place on sticking together as a team, on keeping our ambitions relatively modest. We don’t have an ambition to grow big for its own sake,” Kasavin said.
This philosophy sets Supergiant apart from many studios that expanded rapidly during the COVID-19 pandemic, when gaming surged under stay-at-home orders. Those companies are now scaling back to pre-pandemic levels, often through mass layoffs.
Over the years, Supergiant has released five critically acclaimed titles: Bastion, Transistor, Pyre, Hades, and now Hades II. The studio’s founders, Amir Rao and Gavin Simon, previously worked at Electronic Arts.
What Comes After Hades II?
While Hades II has only just launched, fans are already eager to know what’s next. Kasavin didn’t reveal specifics but noted that the process will once again be collaborative.
“The team will work together to figure out what that thing is that’s gonna make the most of us the most excited,” he said. He added that Hades II took about 4.5 years to develop, meaning the studio doesn’t expect to make dozens more games in its lifetime.
“(We) just try to make each one count and learn from the experience each time and take that forward and try to do it again—that’s good enough for me,” Kasavin explained.
Given the glowing reception to Hades II, some fans may already be dreaming of a third installment. For now, however, Supergiant’s focus is on celebrating its first sequel and looking ahead to the next creative spark.
GameSpot’s review awarded Hades II a rare 10/10, with critic Alessandro Barbosa calling it “essential to experience” and praising its ability to deliver a memorable adventure that players will gladly spend dozens of hours with.
Supergiant’s measured approach may not be the industry’s standard, but it has proven to be a winning formula. By valuing stability over scale, the studio continues to set itself apart during one of gaming’s most uncertain eras.