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.
Which storefront context matters
Documented Hades PC launchers/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. The active storefront/account should be identified before any restore because cloud and local storage may not use the same path or container across editions.
Documented cloud behavior
Steam Cloud, Epic cloud, Xbox Cloud, and Nintendo Switch cross-save are documented. Cloud synchronization is useful for continuity, but it can also turn a restore into a conflict-resolution event. Let synchronization settle before making a manual backup, and keep an offline copy outside any folder monitored by the launcher or operating-system sync service.
Local save roots still matter
The researched local save 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.. A cloud-enabled game still has concrete local data involved in ordinary play, and that local context is what you need when identifying which copy was modified most recently.
Avoid accidental overwrite loops
Back up the entire Hades directory, with special attention to the active ProfileN.sav and its temporary/versioned companions. Preserve filenames exactly in the local runtime folder. When restoring, close the game and launcher, preserve both the current local copy and the backup you want to test, then place the intended data in the matching profile/storefront location. Do not repeatedly open the game between different copies without noting which side the cloud client selected.
Compatibility and conflict checks
A cloud-download archive may prepend metadata to filenames; restoring the bytes without restoring the expected ProfileN.sav name can make a valid save appear missing. If progress disappears or rolls back, 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. Resolve identity/path/cloud questions first. A cloud conflict is not proof that the save itself is corrupt, and a successful upload is not proof that files from another storefront are compatible.
Verification context: Reviewed against current PCGamingWiki Hades save path/cloud data and Supergiant community support guidance identifying Profile1.sav.