Slay the Spire 2 is delayed, but it's twice as big and even more replayable

Slay the Spire 2 has been delayed. That's the bad news out of the way, as the long-awaited deckbuilder sequel slides from its loose 2025 release window into a more specific March 2026. Don't feel too downcast, however; developer Mega Crit actually has some really exciting news for us, with the reveal of new alternate acts that will make the game almost double the size of its predecessor.

The best roguelikes are all about replayability, and no-one would criticize the original StS in that regard. The myriad permutations of deckbuilding depth and strategy mean that it's easy to pour hundreds or even thousands of hours into the card game. But Slay the Spire 2 is bigger. Almost twice as big, in fact. Each of the three acts in the sequel will have two alternative zones, chosen at random as you enter them. "These acts differ radically in their environments, enemies, events, and bosses, all of which greatly increase the variety of gameplay between runs."

Act one can either take you to the Overgrowth or the Underdocks. The Overgrowth is what we've mostly seen in trailers so far. It's "a lush, tangled ruin with much of its fauna resembling mystical woodland creatures and sentient flora that might just eat you alive." The Underdocks, by comparison, is "a miry waterway connected to the Spire's sewer system, from which all manner of mutant sea creatures and vagrants might emerge." Mega Crit teases, "We've only just begun to tease the trove of content that lurks within these murky depths," showing off a toothy creature it provisionally dubs the "Terror Eel" for now.

The developer also confirms that this doesn't mean a reduction in size for each of the areas. "As the mathematically inclined among you have probably realized, this means there will be double the amount of content in this new act structure." When the game hits early access, only the first act will have two variations, with the secondary acts two and three rolling out in future updates. "The capabilities of these different enemies, the opportunities the events offer, and how they all might impact your strategy as you ascend the Spire will be seen in time."

As for the delay, Mega Crit says, "We know this isn't the news anyone wanted to hear (ourselves included, we're dying to get this into your hands). Originally, we were shooting for late 2025, but it turns out we were wrong. We need some more time." It says there's no single reason, with a combination of "personal life stuff" and a desire to add more polish "to meet our standards," as well as the sheer amount of things packed into the sequel.

To answer the question on everyone's lips, it also confirms that the new Slay the Spire 2 release date window was decided "before Silksong's date was announced," but says, "on the bright side, everyone can keep busy playing Silksong during the wait!"

Slay the Spire 2 will now launch in March 2026. If you're hoping for a more specific hint, Mega Crit says it's planning it to land on "a secret Thursday" that month. If you're counting (and we are), that's March 5, March 12, March 19, or March 26.

In the meantime, take a look through our pick of the best indie games for plenty of other options to keep you busy, along with our recommendation for the best gaming handheld, perfect to take them on the go.

Where are you planning to spend this newfound time? Let us know in the PCGamesN community Discord server. Personally, I'll probably keep going with Monster Train 2, but I'm sure some out there will just roll another couple hundred hours into good old Slay the Spire.