News & Updates

The v0.100.0 beta patch — which players had to opt into manually via Steam's beta branch — triggered a storm of negative Steam reviews on March 20-21, 2026. Nearly 10,000 players left negative reviews in a single day despite the patch being entirely optional. The backlash centered on the sweeping balance nerfs aimed at reducing infinite combos. Many players expressed frustration that builds they had invested time into were being nerfed, even while the game is still in Early Access. MegaCrit responded directly to the community, explaining their approach to Early Access development: > "This progress will not be linear, and no change is necessarily permanent." The team emphasized that the purpose of a public beta branch is exactly this kind of rapid iteration and community feedback — and that they will continue adjusting based on what they learn. The overall game rating on Steam remains 'Very Positive' despite the targeted review campaign. v0.100.0 remains on the beta branch as of March 21. MegaCrit is expected to further refine the balance changes before pushing to the main branch. *Source: GamesRadar, GameSpot — March 2026.*

Slay the Spire 2 v0.100.0 dropped on the beta branch on March 20, 2026. Mega Crit calls it 'the first BIG post-launch patch' and it delivers a sweeping balance pass alongside new accessibility features. **Balance Pass:** The primary goal is making infinite combos harder to achieve. Extensive card and relic adjustments across multiple characters, with notable changes to Prepared, Necrobinder cards, and Ironclad abilities. This is the most significant balance overhaul since Early Access launch. **Phobia Mode:** A new accessibility option with bespoke replacement assets designed to mitigate various creepy phobia concerns (spiders, insects, etc.). Rather than simple texture swaps, Mega Crit created dedicated alternative art to maintain visual quality while being inclusive. **Art & VFX:** - New portrait artwork for additional cards - Character-specific visual effects when gaining energy This patch is currently on the beta branch only. Players can opt into the beta via Steam properties. Expect it to hit the main branch after community testing. *No new characters announced. Current roster: Ironclad, Silent, Defect, Necrobinder, Regent. Watcher still not in EA.* *Last verified: March 20, 2026. Check official Steam news for the full changelog.*

Mega Crit confirmed that Slay the Spire 2 has sold over 3 million copies during its first two weeks in Early Access (launched March 5, 2026). At a $25 price point, that represents over $75 million in gross sales before Steam's cut. For context, the original Slay the Spire took years to reach similar sales figures. The sequel's pace puts it among the fastest-selling roguelikes ever released. The milestone was announced alongside the v0.100.0 beta patch release, reflecting strong ongoing player interest and a healthy Early Access community driving continued development. *Source: Kotaku, games.gg, March 2026.*

Slay the Spire 2 v0.99.1 first appeared on the beta branch March 14, then released to the main branch on March 17, 2026 with a comprehensive set of fixes and improvements. **Bug Fixes:** - Fixed multiplayer softlock caused by the Breakthrough card's self-HP-death interaction - Fixed softlock in the Architect event under specific conditions - Fixed Whispering Earring relic triggering autoplay incorrectly - Fixed Doormaker's Door relic scaling behavior - Fixed controller dropdown menu issues - Fixed cloud save crashes on Windows - Fixed Hellraiser power incorrectly playing Strikes **Art Updates:** - Murderous run modifier received its own unique icon - Batch of cards received new portrait art **Localization:** - Japanese font rendering improvements - Korean font spacing fixes **Modding:** - Major overhaul: mod manifests moved outside PCK files - Added dependency declarations for mod compatibility No new characters or major balance changes. Current roster: Ironclad, Silent, Defect, Necrobinder, Regent. *Last verified: March 17, 2026 — check official Steam news for the full changelog.*

With STS2 settled into Early Access, Mega Crit has outlined the roadmap for updates planned during the 1-2 year EA period. **Planned for Early Access:** - **Badge/Scoring System**: Full scoring revamp with a friends-only leaderboard filter - **Phobia Accessibility Mode**: New accessibility option for players with specific phobias - **Steam Workshop**: Mod support via Steam Workshop for the community - **Multiplayer QOL Improvements**: Multiple quality-of-life improvements for co-op play - **Official Twitch Integration**: Plugin for streamers and community interaction - **Act 2b and Act 3b**: Alternate Act 2 and Act 3 paths (mentioned at launch) - **Ongoing Art & VFX**: Continuous new art additions and visual effects polish - **Balance Patches**: Continuous balance updates based on community feedback **Development Philosophy:** Mega Crit is using a rolling beta branch strategy — changes are tested on the beta branch first, then pushed to the main branch when stable. This reduces risk of breaking live builds while maintaining rapid iteration. *The Early Access period is expected to last 1-2 years before the 1.0 launch. New characters may be added during EA, but nothing has been confirmed beyond the current 5 (Ironclad, Silent, Defect, Necrobinder, Regent).* *Last verified: March 2026 — check official MegaCrit channels for the most current roadmap.*

Slay the Spire 2 v0.99 launched on March 13, 2026 — the first substantial patch beyond the rapid hotfix series. **Key Changes in v0.99:** - Bug fixes across multiple game systems - New art additions - HP limit cap introduced: maximum HP is now capped at 999,999,999 This patch marks the transition from hotfix stabilization to more substantial content and balance work during Early Access. *No new characters announced with this patch. Current roster remains: Ironclad, Silent, Defect, Necrobinder, Regent.* *Last verified: March 13, 2026 — check official Steam news for the full changelog.*

As of March 2026, the Watcher — the fourth playable character from the original Slay the Spire — is not available in STS2 Early Access. The five characters available at Early Access launch (March 5, 2026) are: - The Ironclad (returning) - The Silent (returning) - The Defect (returning) - The Necrobinder (new) - The Regent (new) The Watcher's fate in STS2's 1,000-years-later timeline remains unknown. Mega Crit has not announced whether she will be added during Early Access or what role she might play in the story. The developers have stated that the Early Access period is expected to last 1-2 years, during which 'more gameplay content, a true ending, various game modes, improved balance, and a ton of bug fixes' will be added. It's plausible new characters could be added during this period, but nothing has been confirmed. *Last verified: March 2026*

Following the explosive Early Access launch on March 5, 2026, Mega Crit moved quickly to address community-reported issues — three hotfixes in the first week. **v0.98.1 (March 6, 2026)** - Fixed multiplayer softlocks occurring after the Act 1 boss (post-boss disconnect issue) - Fixed card play crashes in specific situations - Localization fixes **v0.98.2 (March 7, 2026)** - Additional softlock fixes across multiple game states - Resolved additional gameplay bugs from community reports **v0.98.3 (March 8, 2026)** - Fixed more instances of players getting stuck at the timeline - Further stability improvements The team has committed to rapid iteration during Early Access and is actively monitoring the community for bug reports and balance feedback. *Note: This page was last verified against official sources in March 2026. Check the official Steam news page for the most current patch information.*

Slay The Spire 2 launched into Early Access on March 5, 2026, immediately shattering records with 179,456 concurrent players on Steam, making it the biggest roguelike launch ever. **What's Available at Launch:** - 5 playable characters: Ironclad, Silent, Defect, Necrobinder, and Regent - 566+ cards across all characters - 287 relics including the new Ancient tier - 63 potions with character-specific options - 3 Acts: Overgrowth/Underdocks (Act 1), Hive (Act 2), Glory (Act 3) - Alternate Act 1 paths (Overgrowth and Underdocks) - 50+ events with the new no-free-choices design - 4-player co-op multiplayer - Epochs metaprogression system - Ascension levels 1-10 **Coming Later in Early Access:** - Act 2b and Act 3b alternate paths - Additional balance patches - More content and polish Mega Crit surpassed Marathon on Steam sales charts. The expected Early Access period is 1-2 years before 1.0 launch.

The long-awaited Early Access Release Date Trailer dropped during Indie Fan Fest, confirming Slay the Spire 2 launches March 5, 2026 on Steam. Massive reveals include: **5 Characters at Launch** The Defect is confirmed returning as the 5th playable character, joining Ironclad, Silent, Necrobinder, and the Regent. Fans dubbed it 'Thiccfect' due to its larger redesigned body and a mysterious unknown fourth orb type. **4-Player Co-Op** The biggest surprise: full 4-player cooperative multiplayer with multiplayer-specific cards and powerful team synergies. Solo play remains fully supported. **Cursed Powers** A new card type revealed — rare cards with full-art trading card designs that offer powerful but dangerous effects. **New Rest Site Actions** New options at campfire rest sites beyond the familiar rest/upgrade choices. **Returning Fan Favorites** Cards like Dark Embrace and Feel No Pain confirmed returning. **Cubex Construct** New enemy revealed — hidden in plain sight in the Ironclad's 'Anger' card art all along. **13 Languages** Localization expanded to 13 languages (up from 8), including Chinese, French, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Russian, Thai, and more. Mega Crit describes this as 'the most complete, close to finished early access game' they could make. Pricing will increase after 1.0, so Early Access buyers get the best deal. Expected EA period: 1-2 years.

The December 2025 Neowsletter hinted that fans should 'keep a particularly close eye out for something happening in February, closer to the launch.' This suggests a major gameplay reveal, possibly a final trailer or demo, before the March Early Access release. The community is speculating this could be: - Final character reveal - Extended gameplay demo - Exact release date announcement - Beta/preview access for content creators UPDATE: The reveal was the Early Access Release Date Trailer on Feb 19, confirming March 5 launch, 5 characters, and 4-player co-op!

January 23, 2026 marks the 7th anniversary of Slay the Spire's 1.0 launch. This means approximately 8.5 years will have passed between the early access launches of STS1 and STS2. The original game has become one of the most influential roguelikes ever made, spawning countless deck-builders and inspiring an entire subgenre of games.

The January 2026 Neowsletter introduced a new mystery creature silhouette for the community to guess. It's described as 'mostly rectangular in shape, but with some sort of sphere suspended in the middle.' The Two-Tailed Rat was also revealed from the December mystery, showing a bipedal rat with flickering tails and a chattering mouth. Mega Crit noted this may be the final creature mystery before more Spire secrets become visible - possibly hinting at upcoming demo or beta access.

The development team has released a significant balance update in the January Neowsletter: **Gold Axe (Buff)** - Cost reduced - Exhaust mechanic removed **Rolling Boulder (Nerf)** - Base damage cut in half - Scaling also reduced by 50% **Unleash (Redesign)** - Necrobinder's starter card completely redesigned - Previously called 'Bodyguard' - Now has new functionality related to Osty

After a delay from the originally planned late 2025 release, Mega Crit has confirmed that Slay The Spire 2 will enter Early Access in March 2026. The developers cited several reasons for the delay: - Personal issues affecting team members - Scope creep ('we kept saying wouldn't it be cool if one too many times') - Desire to meet quality standards Early Access will include: - More bosses than the first game - More enemies than the first game - More events than the first game - Only Act 1 alternate acts at launch (Acts 2 & 3 versions coming later) The final game is expected to 'almost double the size' of the original Slay the Spire.

Mega Crit has revealed the fourth playable character: The Regent, subtitled 'The Heir to the Throne of Stars'. The Regent is an arrogant alien being who uses: - **Stars**: A resource that persists between turns with no maximum cap - **Forge**: Transform and upgrade cards during combat - **Minions**: Summon allies to fight alongside you - **Sovereign Blade**: A signature retainable weapon that can be Forged The Regent has strong synergy with colorless cards and can create new colorless cards mid-run.

Localization has expanded significantly since the initial December announcement. Originally 8 languages were confirmed: - French - German - Japanese - Korean - Polish - Russian - Simplified Chinese - Thai As of February 2026, the total has grown to 13 languages with 5 additional languages onboarded. The team continues recruiting translators. The event character 'Repy' received placeholder art replacement with finished art and updated text.

In a PC Gaming Show interview, Anthony Giovannetti revealed that Mega Crit flipped a coin to decide their next project. Heads was a mystery action game, tails was Slay the Spire 2. The coin flip happened during COVID lockdowns via Discord - Giovannetti admits 'I don't think I actually saw the coin.' Co-founder Casey 'would've massively preferred the coin went the other way' as he's an action game person while Anthony is the card game enthusiast. The developers confirmed they genuinely would have made a different game had the coin landed differently.

The 'Spire Spotting' community event continues, where fans guess at silhouettes of mysterious creatures. Recent reveals include: - **The Obscura**: A mysterious pearl-covered creature - New December mystery creature silhouette for community speculation The game engages the community in discovering STS2's new enemies and characters before launch.

Slay the Spire 2 ranked #1 on the PC Gaming Show's Most Wanted list, demonstrating the incredible anticipation for the sequel. The impact is so significant that one indie roguelike developer moved their 1.0 release to February specifically to avoid being 'crushed' by STS2's March launch.

Mega Crit migrated STS2 to the open-source Godot engine after 2+ years in Unity development. The switch happened after Unity's controversial fee announcement (though Unity backtracked). The team stated Godot enables 'modern features, all-new visuals, and expanding moddability.' The open-source nature should make modding more accessible long-term, though the existing BaseMod/ModTheSpire ecosystem will need rebuilding. Mega Crit has become a Gold Sponsor of Godot, supporting open-source game development.

In a surprising move, Mega Crit has confirmed that Slay the Spire 2 is being built on the Godot engine - an open-source game engine. The team initially worked in Unity and a custom engine for 2+ years before making the switch. Casey Yano cited several reasons: - Support for open-source development - Response to Unity's controversial per-install fee policy - Godot's capabilities meeting their needs The migration has enabled 'modern features, all-new visuals, and expanding moddability'.

Slay the Spire 2 was officially announced with the reveal of the Necrobinder - the first new character. Key details: - **Health**: Only 35 HP (compared to Silent's 70) - **Osty**: A giant reanimated left hand companion - **Doom**: A debuff mechanic for delayed kills - **Souls**: A resource for card-draw abilities The Necrobinder is described as a 'sassy lich' with dark humor despite dealing in death.

Afflictions are a new combat mechanic where enemies 'Afflict' your cards with negative effects. Examples include: - **Energy Drain**: Lose 1 energy when playing afflicted card - **Health Cost**: Lose HP in addition to card's normal effect - **Cruelty**: Specific debuff (details teased but withheld) Interestingly, observant players who examined STS1's source code found an unused Afflictions system - the developers brought this abandoned mechanic to life for the sequel.

The STS2 gameplay trailer revealed at The Game Awards contains a mysterious shot: what appears to be the Defect, but corrupted - face embedded in vines, corroded with decay, and swarmed by tiny flies. With STS2 set 1,000 years after the original, this visual suggests the Defect may have been consumed or corrupted by the Spire's evolution. At the time of the trailer, neither the Defect nor the Watcher were in the confirmed playable roster. UPDATE (Feb 19, 2026): The Defect was confirmed as the 5th playable character in the Early Access Release Date Trailer, debuting at launch on March 5, 2026. The community dubbed the redesigned, larger Defect 'Thiccfect'. What role the corrupted Defect shown in the trailer plays in the story remains to be seen. The Watcher is NOT currently playable in STS2 Early Access as of March 2026. Mega Crit has not announced plans for when or if the Watcher will be added during the EA period.