The climb is just as deadly, but the Spire has never been more popular.
When Slay the Spire II launched in Early Access, it didn’t just return players to the Spire, it immediately stormed the Steam charts. The long-awaited sequel to the genre-defining deckbuilding roguelike quickly shot to No.1 on Steam’s global Top Sellers list, climbing over major releases like Marathon and Resident Evil Requiem shortly after release.
Slay the Spire II climbs into Steam’s most-played games
Player numbers for Slay the Spire II continued to surge throughout launch day. According to SteamDB, the Early Access release reached a peak of 282,314 concurrent players, recorded roughly an hour before the latest figures were captured.
At the time of writing, the game sits as the third most-played title on Steam with around 257,103 active players, behind only Counter-Strike 2 and Dota 2.
In terms of average rating so far, feedback has been Overwhelmingly Positive on Steam, with many players noting that the game had “better art, more animations, and more content,” with systems that made each run different and more fun.
According to Mega Crit, the Early Access period will bring a major overhaul of the original formula, introducing new characters, enemies, environments, cards, relics, potions, events, abilities, and alternate acts. A four-player co-op mode was also announced for the game. The studio then also confirmed that additional content, including more cards, events, environments, and enemies, will continue to be added and balanced throughout Early Access, allowing the game to evolve in response to player feedback.
As one of the most-anticipated roguelikes of 2026, Slay the Spire II had already created a stir prior to launch. After Mega Crit announced the Early Access release date of 6 March, several indie roguelike studios reportedly adjusted their own release schedules, recognising the impact of such a high-profile release. Some developers even commented that they planned to play the game themselves, underlining the level of excitement and influence this sequel carries in the roguelike community.
Early Access for Slay the Spire II is currently available on PC via Steam, with console versions expected to follow once the game reaches full release. Players can dive in now to explore the expanded roster of cards, new enemies, and unique mechanics that build on the 2019 original, experiencing the roguelike deckbuilding action that has defined the genre.
