This article contains MAJOR SPOILERS forHades 2’s boss fights.
There are a handful of video game franchises that have been around for so long and that have been so influential that they’ve transcended the medium.Mortal Kombatis one such franchise, having become a household name overnight when it originally hit arcade floors in 1992, and it having a wealth of multimedia adaptations and spinoffs in the 33 years since. But alongside their own projects, hugelyinfluential franchises likeMortal Kombatare often referenced throughout the medium they mostly belong to, andHades 2is the most recent example of that.
Mortal Kombatreferences have popped up in countless games over the years in various forms, ranging from alternate costumes inLeague of Legendsto a collectible figure of Scorpion inCyberpunk 2077to a dozen different games using the line “Finish Him.” ButHades 2’sMortal Kombattribute is unlike most that have come before it in that it’s totally hidden from the average player.
Hades 2 Features An ‘Unseen’ Mortal Kombat Easter Egg
Hades 2’s Mortal Kombat Tribute is Linked With Its Final Boss Fight
Hades 2’s latest Unseen update adds a new gameplay system called “Vow of Rivals.” Available after defeating all of the game’s bosses at least once (and completing a checklist of side activities),Hades 2’s Vow of Rivals sees players work through the entire game again, this time facing off against dramatically harder boss fights. These higher-difficulty fights change boss attacks patterns, tweak arenas, and add significant challenges that weren’t there previously. For example, Vow of Rivals adds Charbydis toHades 2’s Scylla boss fight.
The Vow of Rivals version ofHades 2’s final surface boss fight against Typhon, the Father of All Monsters, sees Chronos, the Titan of Time, joining the fun. This essentially combines the twohardestHades 2boss fightsinto one absurdly intense battle, which is made even tougher by Chronos being invincible to any of the player’s attacks.
If players can somehow make it to the end of the new Typhon fight, they’re rewarded with Chronos pulling out one of his cheap tricks again. As he summons Typhon back to the arena, he uses his time powers to de-ageHades 2protagonist Melinoe, turning her into a weaponless child who can only avoid oncoming attacks.
It’s here whereHades 2features a hidden reference toMortal Kombat. According to a recentReddit post byHades 2dataminer nh3maser, this phase of Typhon and Chronos' boss fight is referred to as “Babality” in the game’s files. This seems to be an overt reference to the finisher move of the same name which debuted in 1993’sMortal Kombat 2, and sees players turning their opponent into an infant.
Supergiant Should Take Its Mortal Kombat Tribute to the Next Level
While it’s great to hear that Supergiant hadMortal Kombatin mind while developing this phase ofHades 2’s Typhon and Chronos boss fight, it’s a shame that many fans will never know it’s technically in the game. It might be nice to see a more directMortal KombatEaster egg inHades 2’s 1.0 version, available for all players to see. This shouldn’t be a major, immersion-breaking reference, but just a little nod to the fighting game franchise – like a throwaway voiceline – could be fun.
