Slay the Spire 2's next big beta patch has a date, and it's bringing something Mega Crit first put on its roadmap back in April: a new experimental game mode you can play solo or with friends.
According to Inven Global, Mega Crit is targeting November 12 for the next major beta patch. The date comes from the studio's October newsletter. Japanese outlet 4Gamer, reporting on the same newsletter, lists the patch for November 13. Which date applies where isn't clear from the two reports.
Mega Crit's newsletter isn't among the sources we can cite directly, so this report relies on Inven Global and 4Gamer, and each detail below is credited to the outlet that reports it.
What's in it
The headline is the new mode. Both outlets report that it will support single-player and multiplayer. That's about all anyone outside the studio knows. Inven Global says the mode's type, how many there are and the detailed rules haven't been revealed, and 4Gamer says the remaining details are being held back until the patch arrives.
Per 4Gamer, the patch adds the large chunk of content Mega Crit has been building since August, new experimental content included. That experimental content starts out on the beta branch only, so the team can find problems and tune it before a wider release.
So if you play on the default branch, you won't see the new mode on day one. You will get something, though. Inven Global reports that the current beta, version 0.111.0, moves to the main branch with its content, balance changes and bug fixes, and 4Gamer says that happens on the same day as the new beta patch.
Inven Global notes that v0.111.0 was released in August with card reworks, balance and performance tweaks, and low-health idle animations for the characters.
Why the wait
Inven Global also explains where the routine updates went. Since August, Mega Crit has put its effort into major content. Adding features to the beta means design, UX, art, animation and balancing work, and that has made it hard to keep up routine balance passes and bug fixes at the same time.
The mode itself has been on the cards for a while. Inven Global reports that experimental modes were first named in the Early Access roadmap in April. A September developer update then said new features and modes were being tested internally, but gave no timing for a patch.
For context, Slay the Spire 2 is a roguelike deckbuilder that entered Early Access in March. Inven Global notes that it has since added co-op for up to four players and has run a beta branch alongside the main game.
How to get in
The beta is opt-in on Steam. Inven Global says you can join by opening the game's properties on Steam and selecting "public-beta".
Jax's take: A mode that works solo and in co-op is the smart play here. To me, co-op is where Slay the Spire 2 feels most new, but a solo climb is still the heart of the series, and building one mode for both means nobody gets left out. Not knowing what the mode actually is two weeks out is very Mega Crit, too. Opt into the beta on the day and see it for yourself; that's what the branch is for.
Reporting notes