Forget choosing between another climb and a completely different challenge. Slay the Spire 2 beta patch v0.113.0 introduces both, alongside the first new playable character since the game entered Early Access. However, there is a catch: the biggest additions are currently reserved for players willing to test an experimental Steam build.
Released on November 12, 2026, the update gives deckbuilding fans three distinct reasons to return. The Fool expands the character roster, Blitz strips away familiar progression systems, and Dread pushes experienced players toward an especially demanding challenge. More importantly, each addition offers a different way to approach the same strategic foundations.
Slay the Spire 2 expands beyond traditional runs with three major additions
Mega Crit Games describes v0.113.0 as its biggest beta patch yet. Since Early Access began on March 5, 2026, players have seen the sequel evolve through ongoing adjustments. This update, however, goes beyond refining existing content by introducing new ways to play.
According to the official patch notes published by Mega Crit on Steam, the main additions are:
- The Fool: A whimsical musician and gentle bard who becomes the first new Early Access character. Mega Crit expects substantial content and balance adjustments before the character reaches the main branch.
- Blitz mode: A shorter, chaotic alternative centered on deckbuilding. It removes the map, makes Gold irrelevant, and changes how the Merchant’s shop operates. Five Ascension levels are shared across all characters.
- Dread mode: An extreme challenge with every Ascension modifier enabled, stronger bosses that empower enemies throughout their respective Acts, and curses that accumulate as the climb continues.
These additions target different interests. Blitz focuses on making deckbuilding decisions within a condensed format, while Dread intensifies the pressure of surviving a run. Meanwhile, The Fool introduces another character to explore, although Mega Crit has not yet finalized the new arrival’s content or balance.
Blitz and Dread offer very different challenges for returning players
Blitz may be the most immediately approachable addition for players who want a change of pace. Without a map or meaningful Gold economy, familiar decisions surrounding route planning and spending no longer work in the usual way. Instead, the mode places greater emphasis on building a deck under its revised rules.
To unlock Blitz, players must complete an Ascension run at any difficulty. Once available, its five Ascension levels provide a separate progression challenge shared between characters.
Dread sits at the opposite end of the difficulty spectrum. Access requires reaching Ascension 10 with every character, including The Fool. Therefore, even veterans who have already mastered the existing roster must meet the requirement for the newcomer.
Its difficulty comes from combining threats rather than introducing a single obstacle. Every Ascension modifier is active, bosses strengthen the enemies in their Acts, and additional curses complicate the climb. Consequently, managing a deck becomes even more important when disadvantages accumulate.
That distinction highlights why individual card decisions matter. Even something as familiar as the careful balance behind Bash illustrates how resource costs and timing can influence an entire encounter. Dread looks designed to test that kind of judgment under far less forgiving conditions.
Slay the Spire 2 also receives new events and useful improvements
The three headline additions are only part of v0.113.0. Mega Crit has also expanded encounters, adjusted existing characters, and addressed several practical issues that affect repeated runs.
Among the smaller but noteworthy changes, rest sites can now appear one floor earlier in every Act. That adjustment may create additional opportunities to recover or improve a deck before later encounters, although it does not guarantee a rest site on any particular floor.
New events also bring more variety to different areas. The Underdocks gains Waterfall of Obvious Secrets and Wuppy in Trouble, Act 2 receives Museum of Torture, and Act 3 introduces Shrine of the Warlord and Thermae Nonupeipe. These additions arrive with new event cards and relics, alongside a new Colorless card named My Shinies.
Meanwhile, balance adjustments affect the Ironclad, Silent, Regent, and Defect. The interface now remembers the last character selected, displays high-resolution portraits when inspecting cards, and improves controller navigation in the shop.
There is also a second music track for the Underdocks, numerous bug fixes covering co-op multiplayer, and compressed textures intended to improve loading times while reducing memory use.
For players interested in how different roguelike deckbuilders reshape familiar decisions, Everbrink’s collapsing-island approach to card strategy offers another interesting comparison. Where Blitz removes traditional route planning, Everbrink makes changing terrain central to its tactical challenges.
You can join the Steam beta now without waiting for the main branch
Despite the amount of new content, v0.113.0 is exclusive to the public beta branch. Mega Crit considers these additions significant enough to require extensive testing before they become part of the standard version.
Players who want to try the update can opt in directly through Steam:
- Step 1: Open your Steam Library.
- Step 2: Right-click Slay the Spire 2.
- Step 3: Select Properties.
- Step 4: Open Game Versions & Betas.
- Step 5: Choose “public-beta” from the dropdown menu.
Anyone who prefers the regular branch will receive a different update for now. Mega Crit is bringing that version up to date with the content and changes from the previous, more stable beta, v0.111.0.
There is no confirmed date for moving The Fool, Blitz, or Dread into the main branch. Furthermore, the developer has already indicated that The Fool will need additional adjustments, so players should expect the experimental experience to evolve.
For now, Slay the Spire 2 offers two very different reasons to revisit its deckbuilding formula: a condensed alternative for experimenting with runs and an unforgiving mode for those who have already conquered the highest progression requirements. Add a new character and a substantial collection of smaller improvements, and this beta becomes much more than a routine balance update.
Creator of the website, Pokemon trainer by nature. Trying to report on everything related to the world of video games, series and movies. Yu-Gi-Oh is my weakness, collecting cards since the dawn of time.
