Mega Crit has released Slay the Spire 2 beta version 0.113.0 on November 12, 2026, introducing a new playable character called The Fool, two additional game modes named Blitz and Dread, new events and extensive balance adjustments. The update is available exclusively through the game’s public beta branch on Steam, with the developer confirming that the new content requires further testing before reaching the main version.
The update marks the arrival of the first additional playable character since Slay the Spire 2 entered Early Access. Alongside the character expansion, the patch introduces alternative ways to play the deck-building roguelike, including a condensed mode focused on deck construction and a significantly harder challenge designed for experienced players.
The Fool is the centerpiece of version 0.113.0. Mega Crit describes the character as a whimsical musician who wields a bow, introducing a new playable option alongside the existing roster. The developer has deliberately left players to discover much of the character’s strategy and story through gameplay rather than providing a complete breakdown of its mechanics in the announcement.
Mega Crit also cautions that The Fool is still undergoing development. The character’s cards, mechanics and overall balance may receive substantial adjustments before becoming available on the main branch, making the current beta an opportunity to experiment with an unfinished version of the new character.
Blitz is the first of two new modes introduced in the update. Designed around shorter, more chaotic runs with a stronger emphasis on deck-building decisions, Blitz changes several fundamental systems found in standard Slay the Spire 2 gameplay.
The traditional map is removed, Gold no longer plays its usual role, and the Merchant’s offerings have been altered. These changes create a different progression structure in which players must adapt their approach to constructing and improving a deck.
Blitz also features five Ascension levels shared across all characters. Players unlock the mode after successfully completing an Ascension run at any difficulty, making it accessible without requiring progression through the game’s highest difficulty settings.
Dread, meanwhile, targets players seeking a substantially greater challenge. Unlocking the mode requires reaching Ascension 10 with every playable character, including The Fool.
Once unlocked, Dread activates all Ascension modifiers simultaneously. Bosses become more powerful and provide additional buffs to enemies throughout their respective Acts, while players accumulate Curses as they progress through the Spire. These mechanics are intended to make encounters increasingly difficult and place greater pressure on deck construction and resource management.
Beyond the two modes, version 0.113.0 expands the game’s event pool. New Underdocks events include Waterfall of Obvious Secrets and Wuppy in Trouble, while Act 2 receives Museum of Torture. Act 3 gains Shrine of the Warlord and Thermae Nonupeipe.
The new events introduce additional cards and relics, including Dingy Dagger, Mighty Weapon, Mighty Shield, Wuppy and several items associated with Museum of Torture and Thermae Nonupeipe. The update also adds a Byrdpip evolution and a new Colorless card called My Shinies.
Several existing events have been adjusted. The Light Door option in Doors of Light and Dark now upgrades one card selected by the player instead of upgrading two random cards. Zen Weaver’s Breathing Techniques option costs 25 Gold instead of 50 and now provides one Enlightenment card rather than two, with Enlightenment no longer having Exhaust.
Changes to existing cards and relics form another significant part of the patch. Ironclad’s Expect a Fight has been reworked to provide Block while reducing the Energy cost of attacks in the player’s hand. Forgotten Ritual once again requires a card to have been Exhausted during the current turn to generate its additional Energy.
For the Silent, Expertise now retains the entire hand for the turn rather than applying Retain only to cards drawn by its effect. Memento Mori has also been redesigned into a three-Energy attack that targets the enemy with the lowest HP and uses the Sly mechanic.
Other adjustments include increased damage for Speedster, reduced bonus Shiv damage from Phantom Blades, and lower Minion Dive Bomb damage from the Regent’s CHARGE!! card. The Colorless Salvo card also receives a damage reduction, while the Defect’s Power Cell relic now prioritizes eligible zero-cost cards without Innate.
Enemy encounters have been revised as well. Infested Prism no longer uses its Radiate attack and instead follows an updated move sequence. Its Pulsate ability has lost its previous Block gain and now applies Vulnerable. Tunneler’s From Below attack deals more damage, and Axebot now has fixed HP values rather than a randomized range.
The update includes several improvements beyond combat balance. Rest sites can now appear one floor earlier in each Act, while the character selection screen remembers the last character used for Standard runs, with separate selections for singleplayer and multiplayer.
Controller navigation at the Merchant has been improved, and inspecting cards or revealing relics can now display higher-resolution artwork. Additional visual and audio content includes new card portraits, updated Epoch artwork, another Underdocks music track and new sound effects for several enemies.
Mega Crit has also addressed numerous technical issues, including multiplayer softlocks, inconsistent potion behavior during room transitions, controller navigation problems and seeded-run inconsistencies. Performance improvements include reduced stuttering when entering the Waterfall Giant encounter and texture compression intended to improve loading times and reduce memory usage.
Players interested in trying version 0.113.0 must manually switch to the public beta. From the Steam Library, right-click Slay the Spire 2, select Properties, open Game Versions & Betas, and choose public-beta from the dropdown menu. Steam will then download the experimental version.
The new content is not yet available through the default branch. Mega Crit has separately outlined plans to bring the main version up to the previous, more stable beta build, version 0.111.0, while keeping The Fool, Blitz and Dread exclusive to the newer experimental release.
The developer has not announced a confirmed date for version 0.113.0 to reach the main branch. It expects additional testing and balancing before the new character and modes become part of the standard Early Access experience.
Slay the Spire 2 remains in active Early Access development on PC, with version 0.113.0 introducing substantial new content while continuing to refine its existing systems. The update also arrives amid further activity in the roguelike deck-building genre, including HARMA's upcoming Steam Early Access launch and Everbrink's planned 2027 Early Access release.
