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Hermes hades1/11/2024 ![]() Like plenty of Hades players, I've made it out of the underworld a handful of times, but don't have a natural feel for how, exactly, I can ensure Poseidon will offer me the package I want by the time I hit Elysium. He serves as one of the commentators on every Hermes Cup event, and it is downright illuminating to hear him annotate the quicksilver min-maxing judgement calls the average runner makes as they're literally bursting through the gates of hell. Jerds himself deserves plenty of credit for that approachability. (Image credit: Video: Hermes Cup | Hades: Supergiant Games) "There are all sorts of categories that can be raced, but I think everyone who has played the game can relate to the idea of, 'Escape as fast as possible.'" ![]() Although RNG is obviously an element in Hades, it isn't the primary factor to the success of a run," says Jerds. There's an excitement of understanding the creative build and the many decisions along the way. With all of that accounted for, Hades makes for an excellent spectator sport. The Hermes Cup manages to reign in as much of the roguelike's innate randomness as possible. (Are you bad with the Aegis? Don't worry, you have a chance to erase it from the field before you start playing.) Players are able to choose the talents they want with Zagreus' mirror, which allows for some modulation, but both players are offered the exact same starting seed, limiting the chance a competitor will get skunked on boons and fall hopelessly behind. The Hermes Cup is the premiere competitive Hades speedrunning championship, and it seems to be growing more popular every day.Įach match begins with a draft, complete with picks and bans, where the two runners establish exactly what weapons they'll be using in competition. But with a legion of fans desperate to sink into Hades' world, writing, and airtight combat, perhaps it was only inevitable that someone like Jerds would finagle a pro league out of the pieces available. In fact, it's one of the most story-driven roguelikes of all time, and much of the game's appeal comes from the way Supergiant wraps a dynamic, engrossing narrative across the live-die-repeat formula. It doesn't even have a multiplayer component. If they're successful, they'll move onto the next matchup, and eventually, they'll have a chance to claim the most prized bounty in the Underworld. In the next run, they will switch onto the Heart-Seeking Bow, and finally the Stygian Blade, with the goal of escaping into Greece at a faster clip than the rival across them in the bracket. Both runners are equipped with the Aspect of Hades, the variant of the Eternal Spear that juices the spin attack into a vortex of damage on the battlefield, and when I start watching, they're each making mincemeat of those dastardly shieldbearers and butterfly balls in Elysium.
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