Hades is friendly to manual backup because its main PC save lives in the user Saved Games folder, but cloud recovery introduces a naming trap: files downloaded from Steam Cloud can have extra prefixes even though the game expects names such as Profile1.sav. SaveEditor recommends preserving the whole Hades directory and recording the active profile number. This makes it easier to recover both the main profile and companion temporary/versioned files without guessing which cloud-exported filename corresponds to the live save.
Where Hades stores PC saves
The researched save-location boundary is Windows: %USERPROFILE%DocumentsSaved GamesHades ; Microsoft Store: %LOCALAPPDATA%PackagesSupergiantGamesLLC.Hades_q53c1yqmx7phaSystemAppDatawgs. The known file or folder pattern is Profile1.sav / Profile2.sav etc.; temporary/versioned companion saves can exist alongside the active profile.. This is the practical starting point because launcher, profile, and storefront context can change which copy is active even when two folders look similar.
Storefront and profile differences
Documented launchers or storefronts: Steam, Epic Games Launcher, Microsoft Store. Microsoft Store uses WGS. Steam/Epic normal PC installs use the Saved Games directory; a cloud-downloaded filename may not be the same as the runtime filename. When looking for a missing save, identify the executable/storefront you actually launched and the user/profile that created the progress before copying anything between directories.
Cloud synchronization
Steam Cloud, Epic cloud, Xbox Cloud, and Nintendo Switch cross-save are documented. A cloud service should be treated as another copy of the save, not as proof that the local folder is disposable. Before a manual restore, let synchronization finish, make an offline backup, and avoid starting the game while files are being replaced.
What the files represent
Hades stores profile-oriented saves in the Saved Games/Hades directory. Steam cloud exports can include prefixed filenames that need their original names restored before the game recognizes them. The current filename/folder evidence is Profile1.sav / Profile2.sav etc.; temporary/versioned companion saves can exist alongside the active profile.. File-extension context: .sav A location guide does not claim that every file in the directory is safe to edit or that files from another storefront are automatically interchangeable.
If the save is not where expected
If a profile is not detected, compare the filename to the expected ProfileN.sav naming and verify that the active profile number matches. Check WGS separately for Microsoft Store. Also check redirected Documents folders, Steam Play prefixes, account IDs, and launcher-specific containers where applicable. Preserve every candidate copy before testing a restore so troubleshooting does not destroy the only surviving version.
Verification context: Reviewed against current PCGamingWiki Hades save path/cloud data and Supergiant community support guidance identifying Profile1.sav.