Slay the Spire 2
News, coverage and analysis tracking Slay the Spire 2 across the outlets.
Latest coverage
Slay the Spire 2 just got its biggest patch yet, with so many new relics, buffed cards, and massive nerfs that players…
Mega Crit has released a significant patch for Slay the Spire 2, introducing new relics, buffing and nerfing numerous cards, and reworking existing mechanics. These changes aim to rebalance strategies and challenge players who have mastered the deckbuilding roguelike's combinations.
Slay the Spire 2 makes painful but necessary nerfs, and some scary buffs, in a big new balance overhaul
Mega Crit has released a significant balance overhaul patch for Slay the Spire 2 on its beta branch. The update introduces several new relics and buffs, alongside a number of painful but necessary nerfs to previously strong cards and relics. The patch also includes enemy adjustments, multiplayer improvements, and new art.
"They would feel a kind of sadness, right?": Slay the Spire 2 dev on using slightly rubbish placeholder art over AI
Mega Crit co-founder Casey Yano explained that the intentionally rough placeholder art in Slay the Spire 2's early access is meant to clearly communicate the game's incomplete status. He also expressed a preference for this approach over using generative AI art, stating that it would feel disheartening to artists who have developed their own styles.
Slay the Spire 2 lead says the garbage placeholder art is "important" and gen AI would ruin it: "People would judge the game as if it's a 1.0, fully developed video game"
Mega Crit co-founder Casey Yano stated that Slay the Spire 2 is intentionally using deliberately 'shit' placeholder art instead of generative AI assets. This approach aims to clearly communicate that the game is in early access and not a fully developed product, preventing players from judging it as such. Yano also expressed concerns that AI art lacks the artistic process and decision-making inherent in human creation.
Villagers & Heroes discloses that it’s using generative AI for splash screen placeholders
Mad Otter Games has disclosed its use of generative AI for placeholder splash screens in Villagers & Heroes, stating that these are temporary and will be replaced. The studio emphasizes that most in-game art is human-made and that AI is used to speed up prototyping and explore ideas quickly. They are now seeking player screenshots to inform future AI-rendered scenes, which will ultimately be hand-painted by artists.
Slay The Spire 2 Is Choosing “Shit” Art Over Generative AI
Mega Crit co-founder Casey Yano explains the decision to use intentionally crude, MS Paint-style placeholder art in Slay the Spire 2 instead of generative AI. This approach sets player expectations for the early access title, maintains authorial intent in the art process, and injects personality into the game. While the studio uses AI for code review and as a thesaurus, they firmly reject generative AI for art due to its lack of expression and potential to harm reputation.
Alinea: Steam revenue reaches $11.1bn, marking highest half-year on record
Steam generated $11.1 billion in the first half of the year, a 14.5% increase year-over-year, marking a new record. This growth was primarily driven by back-catalogue sales, with publishers utilizing discounts and bundles, alongside increased player activity in Asia and higher prices for new releases. Games like Resident Evil Requiem, Forza Horizon 6, and Crimson Desert were among the top earners.
Summer Games Done Quick 2026 keeps things steady with $2.4M raised for Doctors Without Borders
Summer Games Done Quick 2026 successfully raised $2,408,901 USD for Doctors Without Borders, a total comparable to previous years. The week-long speedrunning marathon featured various unique runs and events, including a Tetris Tournament and a Resident Evil 3: Nemesis run on a guitar controller. Upcoming events include Flame Fatales 2026 and Awesome Games Done Quick 2027 in Atlanta.
Steam has raked in an estimated $11.1 billion gross revenue so far this year, says market analyst—its…
A report from Alinea Analytics indicates that Steam generated an estimated $11.1 billion in gross revenue in the first half of 2026, marking its highest-ever six-month period. This growth is attributed to factors like increased game prices, successful new releases, and the return of third-party publishers like Ubisoft to the platform.
As Xbox and PlayStation flounder, Steam is reportedly having another record year
Valve's PC storefront Steam has achieved record-breaking revenue in the first half of 2026, generating an estimated $11.1 billion. This growth is attributed to the strong performance of the Chinese market, higher new release prices, and the return of third-party publishers. Meanwhile, Microsoft's Xbox and Sony's PlayStation divisions are facing challenges due to declining sales, increased hardware costs, and negative consumer sentiment.
Summer Games Done Quick 2026: Watch Day 6 here
Summer Games Done Quick 2026 is featuring a packed Day 6 schedule with speedruns of games like Saros, Slay the Spire 2, Balatro, Super Mario Maker 2, Resident Evil Requiem, and Resident Evil 3: Nemesis. The event is raising money for Doctors Without Borders in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and has already surpassed $987,000.
This week in PC games: Stardew Valley plus vampires, a lavish gamebook RPG, and Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced, finally
This week's PC game releases include the remake Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag Resynced, the gamebook RPG Veritas Tales: Witch of the Dark Castle, and various indie titles like Cosmodrill and Mothkeep. News includes potential job cuts at Microsoft and studio closures, while previews of Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag Resynced and interviews are also mentioned.
Slay the Spire 2 gets 15 powerful new multiplayer cards, while making life easier the first time you install a mod
Slay the Spire 2 has received a significant update introducing new multiplayer cards across all five classes, available now on the Steam beta branch. The update also includes balancing changes for solo players and bug fixes, with improved support for transferring saves to modded installations.
Slay the Spire 2 beta patch adds new multiplayer cards and modding fixes
A new beta patch for Slay the Spire 2 introduces significant updates, including new multiplayer-focused cards for multiple characters and improvements to modding functionality. The patch also addresses various quality-of-life tweaks, bug fixes, and balance adjustments for both single-player and multiplayer modes.
Slay the Spire 2 just got 15 new cards out of nowhere, including some big co-op heavy hitters
A new beta patch for Slay the Spire 2 introduces 15 new cards, many focused on enhancing co-op gameplay, alongside balance adjustments and a visual overhaul for the boss Aeonglass. The update also includes improvements for modding support, with Mega Crit aiming to bring these changes to the main branch soon.
Slay the Spire 2 update adds a crucial feature for every roguelike along with a randomizer button, modding improvements,…
An update for Slay the Spire 2 has been released on its Steam beta branch, introducing several improvements. Key changes include enhancements to modding support, a new run timer that pauses during the menu, and a randomizer option for custom runs. The update also features bug fixes and new assets for the Aeonglass boss.
Slay the Spire 2 engine creators will allow only ‘human-authored’ code from now on, for very obvious reasons
The creators of the Slay the Spire 2 engine have announced a new policy requiring all code to be human-authored. This decision aims to address concerns related to artificial intelligence and its role in game development.
FLASK’s first playable demo lands on Steam, offering a new take on set bonuses, companions and deck building
The roguelike deckbuilder FLASK, developed by Chop Chop Games and published by Ghost Ship Publishing, has released its first playable demo on Steam for PC and Mac. The demo offers a substantial portion of the game, excluding meta-progression, and introduces new features like companions, PvP, and a refined flask system. This release follows the game's initial appearance at Gamescom 2025 and aims to gather community feedback.
Games Done Quick Announces Flame Fatales 2026 Schedule
Games Done Quick's Frame Fatales community has announced the schedule for its summer speedrunning event, Flame Fatales 2026, which will benefit the Malala Fund. The event, running from September 13-19, will feature speedruns of games including Mass Effect 3, Slay the Spire II, and Control, with a special VR run of Wolfenstein: Cyberpilot on Meta Quest 3. Frame Fatales has raised over $1 million for charity since 2019.
"Low-effort slop": The creators of the Godot engine behind Slay the Spire 2 are cracking down on "vibe-coding" and now require genAI disclosures
The Godot Foundation, the developers behind the open-source game engine used in titles like Slay the Spire 2 and Buckshot Roulette, are implementing stricter policies regarding generative AI usage. Citing a rise in "low-effort slop" and a strain on maintainers, the foundation will now require contributors to disclose any AI assistance and prohibits the use of AI for generating substantial code. This move contrasts with Epic Games' approach to Unreal Engine 6, which embraces AI integration.
