Hi everyone! Casey here.

Slay the Spire 2 has been out for about a month and the majority of our work has been fixing up major issues, improving our feedback systems, polishing up visuals, and reworking/balancing content so that all of the cards and items feel interesting and viable!

To those who reported feedback, thank you! Do note that the in-game feedback tool gives us more data than emails and meme posts (as funny as the latter may be).

The road to version 1.0 is long but we're hoping to get back on track to some bigger chunks of content as we enter the warmer months. Our Early Access disclaimer is rather vague, so I felt that something a bit more official and recent would be nice to read.


Features and Systems:
- Steam Workshop support
- Support for more languages
- The Bestiary, a way to view and learn about the enemies in the game
- Experimental game modes

Ongoing Tasks:
- Fixings bugs
- Compatibility and performance improvements
- Game balance and tweaks
- Quality of life features
- Audio polish (more silly voices)
- Visual polish (less silly placeholder art)

Content (No spoilers, it's for your own good!)
- Alternate Act 2
- New Character
- Alternate Act 3
- More cards, events, relics, and potions

Further off in the Future
- Ports to other consoles/platforms/mobile/etc
- Steam Achievements & Tradings Cards
- "True Victory" + Everything that comes with it

You might see this and think, but where are the dates! Why can't you promise dates??

My response is: It's not what works for us.

Mega Crit is a small team where each member understands their responsibilities, knows everyone else, and I try my best to ensure that we work at a healthy pace.

We evaluate our tasks each week and work on what feels most impactful. It’s not the most organized method, but this allows spontaneous experimentation like the dialogues you have with the Ancients or the existence of a Room Full of Cheese. We won’t massively expand the size of the studio to finish the game faster. Exacting deadlines produce sloppy uninspired work and I don't want Sloppy Spire 2, I want Slay the Spire 2.

While we don't have firm timelines, beta patches release at a much more frequent cadence than main branch patches. If you haven't heard, the beta branch is an optional version of the game intended for testing experimental changes that are tweaked until we feel they are stable enough for the main branch. If you're eager to try out and provide feedback on content before it's officially live, check out the instructions for switching branches outlined here.


Demi popping in with a little insight into some Slay the Spire 2 statistics! We’re a little over a month post-launch and you’ve all already embarked on about 145 million runs!! This time we’re gonna take a slightly deeper look into those numbers–specifically the most common decisions Slayers make when presented with a few interesting event dilemmas!

When finding the Lantern Key in the Hive, 56% of players return it to its apparently rightful owner, a Mysterious Knight, and are rewarded for their magnanimity (or cowardice) with gold. 44%, however, fight the stranger to keep it for themselves.

Of those who emerged victorious with the Lantern Key and made it to Glory, upon encountering War Historian, Repy, 88% choose to free him from his cage in exchange for a valuable tome. Just 12% choose to abandon Repy in favor of the chest full of random relics and potions. Cold-blooded…

In the Room Full of Cheese, 63% of players immediately gorge themselves on the cheese surrounding them, learning some new moves in the process. 37% are too overwhelmed by the sheer amount of cheese to partake, but are mysteriously rewarded for their pickiness with The Chosen Cheese. It’s fairly hard to resist the cheesy temptations, it seems.

And lastly, when stumbling upon the Byrdonis Nest in Overgrowth, 51% of players choose to take the egg in order to hatch it into their own loyal little Byrdpip… and 49% feel too hungry, apparently, and eat the egg for some extra max HP. That’s almost an exact 50/50 split! Though we can’t imagine Byrdonis is too happy about either option.

That’s all for now, but next time we’ll take a peek behind the curtain at some different kinds of metrics!


KevsterZ asks: I notice that all basically of the Neowsletters and STS2 come out on Thursdays. Does this day have a special meaning to you guys and the team?
Casey: If we push newsletters or builds earlier during the week, we'd be gauging the reaction of players throughout the week; this isn't productive for us. If there are problems, typos, etc we can fix them on Friday.

Bryggel asks: Is it possible to have matchmaking or ingame chat for multiplayer?
Casey: Matchmaking is a bit up in the air at this time. I think any video game where you can be paired up with strangers brings a whole host of headaches that a smaller team wouldn't want to deal with... but maybe we're being too stringent. Perhaps something to evaluate later. We could probably bring in some kind of in-game chat. I don't think we'll do voice. Unless something horrible happens to Discord.

Booyah asks: Will there be a endless mode added?
Casey: Probably not, the deckbuilding gets less exciting the longer a run goes on... I think games like Balatro do a better job due to infinite strategies being possible less often. The scaling of their game's mechanics feels more natural- whereas it's not really the case for us.
Still, you never know how inspiration strikes. Maybe a modder will think of a way to make it work!

D asks: will you also make official tabletop simulator expansion so that those that don't have friends IRL could play the board game online with others?
Demi: Firstly, Contention Games is the one who handles most things related to the board game, as they develop, produce, and distribute it! Secondly, the public playtesting of the board game’s Downfall expansion has just recently begun, actually, and you can find it on Tabletop Simulator here! For those who don’t already know, the base board game can be found on Tabletop Simulator here. If you’d like to provide feedback on the Downfall expansion and find teammates, check out the Contention Games Discord server[discord.gg]!

Origo asks: Will this (beta patch) make it to the normal branch soon or not ?
Casey: Probably when we feel that the first set of balance patches feel stable in the beta branch. We were discussing pulling in a handful of fixes into main branch before then. So that might happen soon, maybe before this Neowsletter is even published!

And lastly we have some questions from Yumin, a member of a game dev club in South Korea called LEVEL 0 which is organizing a game jam right now.

Yumin asks: On Non-negotiables: While developing Slay the Spire, what was the one thing you were never willing to compromise on to ensure the "fun" of the game?
Casey: There must be whimsy.

Yumin asks: On Persistence: As students, we often find our willpower weakening when development stretches on for a long time. How did you maintain the team’s morale and spirit throughout the long development and Early Access period?
Casey: It's really important to get a feel of the general spirit of the team. If it feels like people are only talking about tasks instead of the work or project as a whole, then maybe consider a break! This kind of mentality isn't exactly for a gamejam.
It's easier to stay motivated in person. Although our team is mostly remote (only 3 of us utilize the office), we meet up a few times each year. For a game jam, maybe it'll be fun to take a slightly longer lunch for some fried chicken or something. I love fried chicken. Also, I'm taking a short trip to Berlin in May. Don't tell anyone.

Yumin asks: A Word for Us: Could you please share a short message of encouragement for the students preparing for 'Daegyeong Jam'?
Casey: Remember to have fun! Don't just eat protein bars and instant ramen!


Looking to complete (or start!) your Slay the Spire figure collection? You can help bring these YouTooz Necrobinder and Regent figure concepts[youtooz.com] to life! Anyone who pledges their support for each concept will get a slight discount on the products once they launch, so if you want little versions of everyone's favorite lich and alien watching over your future runs then don't delay!


Another round of Slay the Spire 2 Connections[custom-connections-game.vercel.app] is here!

For those who are new to Connections puzzles, the objective is to make 4 groups of 4 things that have something in common. It could be a similarity in name, function, aesthetic, or even something more abstract. If there are 3 things or 5 things that have something in common, you may be picking up the wrong scent. The difficulty of the categories is roughly organized by color: yellow is meant to be easiest, then green, then blue, then purple–though difficulty is subjective!


Last month we asked for submissions of any in-game map drawings you make, and we’ve received way more than we could ever include in a Neowsletter! Here are just a handful of highlights; if you’d like to be featured next month then post it in our Discord or email fanmail@megacrit.com!

This drawing of The Silent’s classic key art by Petěrko!

This cool drawing of The Necrobinder and Osty by ねこま!

A very detailed illustration of various Slay the Spire characters by Dusk’s Knife!

An adorable drawing of The Defect and Flaw by Axye!

This funny little Regent doodle (feat. a sus cameo) by Bukie!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqQW4UYb6FA
And last but not least, a full map-drawn animation of Bad Apple by Terminaidan!


Thank you to DotNetIzzy for this month’s lovely sakura-themed cover image! Shoutout to the other awesome submissions from 디제이구름, Muki, and Ren (who used traditional watercolor and ink!)

Next month's theme is: Mother (of Resurrection)’s Day! If you'd like to submit your art for consideration, reminder that it must be submitted to us via fanmail@megacrit.com or in our Discord's[discord.gg] fanart channel, have dimensions of 800x450px, feature no text, and leave room for a title!

Now it’s time for the rest of our usual community highlights, which are only the tip of the iceberg of the HUGE amount of incredible fanworks we’ve been seeing. Every illustration, video, meme, cosplay, etc that we come across makes our day–so thank you!

This art of The Necrobinder sporting a different, super-cute style by Radio[x.com]!

This very cool art of a Silent x Ceremonial Beast fusion by Potari[x.com]!

This incredible, colorful portrait of The Regent by Jan[x.com]!

That’s all for the April 2026 issue of the Neowsletter, see you again next month with more updates and highlights!

It's time, Slayers. All of the content, changes, and fixes from the beta branch over the past month are finally coming to the main branch of the game.

Thanks to the feedback and metrics from our dedicated beta testers (instructions for joining the experimental beta branch can be found here, we feel that the beta version has been shaped into a stable enough position for main branch players to try out the changes. This is still an Early Access game, so just because something made it from beta to main does not mean it's set in stone. We continue to rely on the experiences of players across both branches to eventually get the game into its final, ideal state, just like we did with StS1. Trust the process! And don't forget to press F2!

These "patch notes" will be a little different: this patch encapsulates all of the changes from v0.100.0 to v0.103.1, so if you've been keeping up with the beta patches this post will basically act as a recap. If you haven't been keeping up and you're interested in seeing more detailed, chronological notes for each of these changes, please take a look through the previous beta patch notes. Manually listing out every single difference between the previous and current main versions of the game after so much beta content has gone through reworks, balance changes, and reverts has proven very time-intensive and inefficient. Therefore, we thought we'd give you more of a high-level overview of the biggest changes since the last main patch was released. The beta patches will continue to contain our usual lists of specific patch notes. Let us know if this method of patch note delivery works for you all!


Be sure to pay close attention when embarking on your next few runs: many things that you've grown used to have been re-balanced, reworked, or even removed (in a couple rare cases). However, quite a few new pieces of content have also been added for you to dig into. While we don't get into the nitty gritty of every change, we've listed the biggest relevant highlights.

In terms of general changes, here are a few big things to note:

• Ascension 6 has been reworked from Gloom - "Less rest sites." -> Inflation - "Removing cards from your deck at the Merchant is more expensive."
  
• All shop relics now cost 25 gold less and gold-generating relics can no longer appear in the shop
  
• Map generation has been improved and made to be more consistent
  
• If you return to a run after updating with a newly deprecated card in your deck, it is now replaced with a placeholder Status card - "Draw 1 card. Remove this from your Deck. Exhaust."

The Ironclad has received a new card, Not Yet: "Rare - Skill - Cost 2 | Heal 10(13) HP. Exhaust." Some other cards of his--Dominate, Expect a Fight, Spite, and Stoke--have received reworks, while Grapple has been deprecated. Numerous cards have seen buffs, nerfs, and rarity changes. Many of these changes have come with the aim of giving him better survivability and Exhaust synergies.

The Silent's Blade of Ink card has been reworked to generate Shivs enchanted with Inky - "This card deals 2 additional damage and applies 1 Weak." Her classic Acrobatics card has been changed from Common to Uncommon, bringing it more in line with the other cards in its family: Skim, Parse, Glimmer, and Burning Pact. She's also seen a few other buffs and nerfs. Our goal is to make Sly builds less overly dominant while making sure they still feel satisfying.

The Regent's Arsenal card has been reworked from giving Strength based on Colorless cards played to any cards created. In a similar vein, his Regalite relic now grants Block for any card created, not just Colorless cards. Notably, his card pool has seen more buffs than any other character with just a couple of nerfs, which should address concerns about him feeling weaker than the other characters.

The Necrobinder has received a rework for Borrowed Time: "Uncommon - Cost 0 - Skill | Apply 3 Doom to yourself. Gain 1(2) Energy." -> "Uncommon - Cost 1 - Skill | Gain 4(6) energy. Cards cost an additional energy this turn." This new version should go particularly well with high cost cards like Reap and Bury and help to flesh out other ways to play Necrobinder. Aside from that, she's received a handful of buffs and nerfs.

The Defect has seen the least amount of changes of any of the characters, receiving just a couple of buffs and nerfs.

Some Colorless cards, relics, and potions have seen buffs, nerfs, changes, and pool/rarity shifts, with the Hidden Gem card and Pendulum relic receiving reworks. Various events have had their options or spawn conditions tweaked.

There have been a few balance changes to some Ancient offerings, but most notably Neow will now offer 5 new relics:

• Hefty Tablet: "Choose 1 of 3 Rare cards to add to your Deck. Add 1 Injury to your Deck."
  
• Neow's Talisman: "Upgrade 1 of your Strikes and 1 of your Defends."
  
• Neow's Bones: "Upon pickup, gain 2 random Neow Relics. Add 1 random Curse to your Deck."
  
• Phial Holster: "Upon pickup, gain 1 potion slot and procure 2 random potions."
  
• Winged Boots: "You may ignore paths when choosing the next rooms to travel to 3 times."

Last but certainly not least, it's time to talk about enemies. While certain enemies have seen some buffs and nerfs, like the Skulking Colony, the Doormaker has seen the most drastic reworks.


Our artists have been hard at work updating the game's placeholder assets (as charming as they are). Many cards, relics, enemies, and even Nonupeipe the Ancient have received some official visuals!

There have also been some really cool additions to enemy animations as well as VFX for certain character moves. Speaking of VFX, card afflictions have also received some fancy new visuals. There are even character-based VFX for energy counters now!


There have been a ton of additions (and even overhauls) when it comes to UI and UX.

First of all, a brand new system for things called Badges has been implemented. Badges may appear at the end of a run, noting various things that happened during a run like defeating a boss without losing HP, beating the game quickly, specific easter eggs, or pointing out that you forgot to spend your gold. They're meant as little reminders to let you know what was unique about each adventure.

Building off of that, leaderboards have been totally revamped. The leaderboards will now only show your friends' scores. We'll add a way to view global scores later. In general, we don't really want to incorporate invasive anti-cheat protection into the game so it's sort of impossible for us to prevent people putting in the maximum score.

Secondly, no more magic numbers. While there are still points accrued for unlocking new cards and such, the score that's sent to the leaderboards and how it's sorted is based on whether you won, how many badges you accrued, and how quickly you finished the run (in that order). This should clarify why you did better on a Daily run compared to your friends.

Because the schema has changed, leaderboards between main branch and beta branch will be separate going forward. We'll eventually add more features like sorting and whatnot, but in the meantime, do let us know what you think of these changes!

Other major changes include the addition of a Phobia Mode setting, the in-game feedback tool's maximum character count increasing from 500 to 8000, the removal of the ability to unlock achievements and epochs in Daily or Custom runs, and various improvements to controller support.


Most of the writing-related changes have come in the form of slight rewording to make it clearer what certain cards, relics, potions, and powers actually do. For instance, those who have been confused as to why their Fairy in a Bottle potions haven't saved them from The Insatiable can now understand that the potion only triggers if your HP reaches 0, not if you die by any other means.


Many, many various bug fixes have been released, including a fix for the common "Fatal Error" Steam cloud sync issue and multiple crashes, softlocks, and black-screen startup issues. You'll also notice that a myriad of gameplay bugs have been addressed, such as ones related to the logic of Vakuu's Whispering Earring relic.

If you prefer to play on controller, you should find that various navigation problems have now been fixed. In the multiplayer realm, we've fixed some bugged gameplay interactions, state divergence problems, and have resolved many "Error 5008" disconnection issues.

As always, we greatly appreciate your in-game feedback, and will rely on it as we return to releasing more content and experimental changes on the beta branch.