The same tricks may not hit the same anymore as the Spire goes through some balance changes.
The climb just got a lot less predictable as Megacrit has pushed a major Early Access update to Slay the Spire II on Thursday (16 April), folding in a month’s worth of beta changes and reshaping how runs play out from the first floor to the final boss.
Revealed as a roll-up of updates from v0.100.0 through v0.103.1 and published on Steam, this patch pulls a month’s worth of reworks, balance tweaks, and new content out of the beta branch and into the live game.
The team said the update is built on player feedback and testing data, with the beta version “shaped into a stable enough position for main branch players to try out the changes,” while stressing that nothing is locked in just yet as Early Access continues.
Feedback is still a core part of the process, with the developers confirming they’ll keep iterating through future beta patches as Slay the Spire II pushes towards full release.
What’s new in Slay the Spire II’s first major update?
This patch shakes up how runs feel from the ground up, with big changes to progression, economy, and core systems. Ascension 6 has been reworked from Gloom into Inflation, swapping fewer rest sites for a tougher economy where removing cards at merchants now costs more. Shops have also been tweaked, with relics getting a 25 gold discount, but gold-generating relics no longer showing up there.
Map generation has been tightened up so routes feel more consistent between runs, and there’s now a safety net for outdated cards. If a run loads with a removed card, it gets swapped out for a placeholder Status card that draws one and Exhausts.
The devs describe this patch as a “high-level overview of the biggest changes,” rather than a full deep dive, given how much has been reworked during the beta cycle.
Character balance changes and new cards in Slay the Spire II
Every character gets touched here, though some more than others.
- The Ironclad picks up a new Rare Skill, Not Yet, healing 10 (13) HP and Exhausting. Dominate, Expect a Fight, Spite, and Stoke have been reworked, while Grapple has been removed. The overall direction leans into better survivability and stronger Exhaust synergies.
- The Silent’s Blade of Ink now creates Shivs buffed with Inky, adding extra damage and applying Weak. Acrobatics has been moved up from Common to Uncommon to match similar draw cards. The changes rein in Sly builds a bit while keeping them satisfying to play.
- The Regent gets one of the biggest glow-ups. Arsenal now scales with any created cards, not just Colourless, and Regalite grants Block off any created card as well. These buffs are aimed at bringing the character up to par with the rest of the roster.
- The Necrobinder’s Borrowed Time has been flipped into a high-risk, high-reward option. It now costs 1 Energy and gives 4 (6) Energy, but increases card costs for the turn. It opens up stronger plays with expensive cards like Reap and Bury.
- The Defect sees the lightest touch, with only a few minor buffs and nerfs.
New relics and enemy reworks in Slay the Spire II
Neow’s starting options get expanded with five new relics. Hefty Tablet offers a pick of three Rare cards at the cost of an Injury, while Winged Boots let players ignore pathing restrictions three times. Neow’s Talisman, Neow’s Bones, and Phial Holster round things out, each adding new trade-offs at the start of a run.
Enemies have also been adjusted across the board. Some get light tuning, but the Doormaker stands out with one of the biggest reworks in this patch. While the update shares that it deals less damage overall, its move set has been rearranged to better fit its intended design, it no longer applies debuffs, and it gains less Strength during the fight. The idea is that the Doormaker still does what it does best, but the fight should feel less punishing, and less like it snowballs out of control.
UI overhaul, badges, and leaderboard changes in Slay the Spire II
There’s a big push on UI and run tracking this time. A new Badge system highlights standout moments in a run, like beating a boss without taking damage or finishing quickly.
Leaderboards have been reworked to focus on friend rankings. Scores are now based on wins, badges earned, and completion time, replacing the old “magic number” system. Global rankings may come later, but the devs have avoided adding invasive anti-cheat.
Other additions include a Phobia Mode setting, expanded in-game feedback tools with a higher character limit, and better controller support. Achievements and epochs are now disabled in Daily and Custom runs.
Visual updates, improvements on sound and other bugfixes were also included in this update. You can view the full update text here.
Since the release of the update, feedback from the player community has been mixed, with plenty of them sharing very detailed notes of what they believed worked and didn't work in the current update through updated reviews on Steam. Many of those who disliked the update felt that the balance changes only made the game harder, and plenty others continue to complain about the Doormaker.
However, while these changes may change the way the game works, players need to remember that not everything is permanent, especially with the game still being on Early Access.
