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.
Start with the least destructive explanation
When Hades progress appears missing, first verify the active PC location: Windows: %USERPROFILE%DocumentsSaved GamesHades ; Microsoft Store: %LOCALAPPDATA%PackagesSupergiantGamesLLC.Hades_q53c1yqmx7phaSystemAppDatawgs. Expected files/folders: Profile1.sav / Profile2.sav etc.; temporary/versioned companion saves can exist alongside the active profile.. Many apparent save failures are actually profile, storefront, path-redirection, or cloud-selection problems rather than damaged game data.
Preserve every surviving copy
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. Before renaming, moving, replacing, or opening candidate backups, copy them outside the live directory. Do not use the only surviving file as the test specimen for repair or editing.
Check launcher and cloud state
Storefront context: 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. Cloud notes: Steam Cloud, Epic cloud, Xbox Cloud, and Nintendo Switch cross-save are documented. A sync client can reintroduce an older or newer version after a manual restore, so recovery work should keep local and cloud copies conceptually separate until the wanted progress is confirmed.
Use format and compatibility clues
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. 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 the file exists but is ignored, compare the complete directory structure, slot/profile naming, game edition, mods/DLC, and any companion metadata. Do not assume an extension change or generic checksum tool can repair a game-specific container.
Game-specific troubleshooting
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. If a known-good backup works, preserve it and create a fresh in-game save before further experiments. If no copy works, prefer read-only inspection and source-backed game-specific tooling over repeated writes.
Verification context: Reviewed against current PCGamingWiki Hades save path/cloud data and Supergiant community support guidance identifying Profile1.sav.