Slay the Spire 2 has its first new Early Access character. Mega Crit's v0.113.0 beta patch, released on November 12, 2026, adds the Fool, a bow-wielding musician, along with two new game modes called Blitz and Dread, a batch of new events and relics, card reworks for the Ironclad and Silent, and a long list of fixes for multiplayer and controller play.
The catch is that none of the headline content is on the default version of the game yet. Everything in v0.113.0 lives on the public-beta branch on Steam, and Mega Crit expects to make many content and balance changes to the Fool before he reaches the main branch. This guide covers how to get the patch, what the Fool, Blitz and Dread actually are, every balance change worth knowing about, and what the update means for anyone playing on the main branch.
How to Play the Slay the Spire 2 Beta Patch
Mega Crit keeps experimental content on a separate Steam branch so it can be tested before it reaches everyone. To switch:
- Open your Steam library and right-click Slay the Spire 2.
- Choose Properties, then Game Versions & Betas.
- Select public-beta from the dropdown and let Steam download the update.
Two practical notes follow from the patch notes. First, v0.113.0 includes a fix so that opening a run saved by a newer version now tells you to update the game instead of reporting a corrupt save. That matters if you hop between branches or play on more than one PC, because a run started on the beta can't be continued on an older build. Second, a related fix stops older versions from deleting a run or Run History entry on your other devices when you open it. Older builds without that fix are still out there, so finishing a beta run before switching back is the safest habit.
If you play co-op, everyone in the party needs to be on the same version. The patch also fixes the error message shown when you try to join a friend on a different game version, so a mismatch should now say so clearly instead of failing in a confusing way.
What Changed on the Main Branch
Players who never touch the beta still got an update. According to Mega Crit, the main branch has been brought up to date with all content and changes from v0.111.0, the previous and more stable beta. The October Neowsletter set this up in advance: the studio said the default branch would receive the content, balance and fixes from the then-current beta at the same time the new experimental patch arrived.
So on the main branch you will not see the Fool, Blitz, Dread or the v0.113.0 balance changes listed below. You will see whatever v0.111.0 introduced. If a guide or video shows a card change you can't find in your game, check which branch it refers to first.
The Fool: Slay the Spire 2's First New Early Access Character
Mega Crit describes the Fool as a "silly musician who wields a bow" and calls him a bard. He joins the existing roster of the Ironclad, the Silent, the Regent, the Necrobinder and the Defect, and he is the first character added since Early Access began. The patch notes do not list his starting deck, his starting relic or his full card pool. The studio deliberately kept the details quiet, saying in October that the new content would "have more of an impact the less we say about it," and the patch notes encourage players to discover the character's strategies and story for themselves.
What the notes do make clear:
- The Fool is a beta-only character for now. He will stay on the public-beta branch until Mega Crit is happy with him.
- Expect large changes. The studio says it expects to make "a great number of content and balance changes" before the Fool is ready for the main branch. Card values, rarities and even whole mechanics can shift between beta builds, so a build that dominates this week may not survive the next patch.
- He counts for Dread. Unlocking the new Dread mode requires Ascension 10 on all characters, and the patch notes specifically include the new one. Anyone chasing Dread has to push the Fool through ten Ascension levels as well.
How to Give Feedback on the Fool
Mega Crit has repeatedly pointed players toward the in-game feedback tool rather than emails or Steam threads. In the October Neowsletter, Mega Crit co-founder Casey Yano said the in-game tool gives the team the most data and lets it sort issues by category. The tool is opened with F2 on PC. v0.113.0 also fixes several problems with it: feedback that sometimes failed to send, blurry and oversized screenshots from ultrawide monitors, and the response text box not working in Keyboard Only mode. If the Fool feels too strong, too weak or confusing, that tool is the most direct way to shape the final version.
New Game Mode: Blitz
Blitz is described as a "condensed and chaotic deckbuilding-focused mode." Three changes define it:
- The map is gone. There are no route decisions between elites, events, shops and rest sites.
- Gold no longer matters. The usual tension of saving up for a shop removal or a key relic disappears.
- The Merchant's wares "feel a bit off." Mega Crit hasn't explained exactly how the shop works in Blitz, only that it behaves differently from a normal run.
Because routing and Gold management are removed, Blitz puts nearly all of the decision-making into card picks and deck construction. It suits shorter sessions and players who like drafting more than pathing. Mega Crit also said in October that the new modes work in both singleplayer and multiplayer, so Blitz is available for co-op groups as well.
New Game Mode: Dread
Dread sits at the opposite end of the difficulty scale. It is aimed at players who want "the ultimate challenge," and the patch notes do not soften it: "Death is expected."
Dread's rules, as listed by Mega Crit:
- All Ascension modifiers are enabled from the start.
- Bosses are stronger and buff all enemies in their Act, so the pressure from a boss is felt across the whole Act rather than only in the final fight.
- Curses pile up as you climb the Spire, steadily clogging your deck.
Deck thinning and Curse management will matter more here than anywhere else in the game. Cards and relics that remove, transform or exhaust Curses gain value, and so do decks that can function with dead draws.
Content and Balance Changes
Beyond the headline features, v0.113.0 makes a solid set of balance changes. Unless noted, the numbers in parentheses are upgraded values.
General Changes
- Rest sites can now appear one floor earlier in every act. This is a small change with a big effect on pacing. An earlier rest site gives more room to recover after a tough elite and more flexibility in routing.
Ancients
- Neow's Dowsing Rod (buffed): its Dowsing card now transforms after 4 ? rooms instead of 5, and the ? room that transforms it can no longer be a combat.
- Nonupeipe's Brilliant Scarf (nerfed): now triggers on the 6th card instead of the 5th.
Events
- New Underdocks events: Waterfall of Obvious Secrets and Wuppy in Trouble.
- New Act 2 event: Museum of Torture.
- New Act 3 events: Shrine of the Warlord and Thermae Nonupeipe.
- New event cards: Dingy Dagger (Waterfall of Obvious Secrets), and Mighty Weapon and Mighty Shield (Shrine of the Warlord).
- Byrdpip evolution has been added.
- Doors of Light and Dark: the Light Door now Upgrades 1 card of your choice instead of 2 random cards. Choosing the upgrade is often better than gambling on two, especially for decks built around one key card.
- Zen Weaver, Breathing Techniques option: Gold cost drops from 50 to 25, it adds 1 Enlightenment card instead of 2, and Enlightenment no longer has Exhaust.
- Waterlogged Scriptorium (nerfed): Prickly Sponge now costs 120 Gold instead of 99.
New Event Relics
v0.113.0 adds seven relics tied to the new events:
- Wuppy (Wuppy in Trouble)
- Obsidian Vice, Thumbscrew and Tormentous Collar (Museum of Torture)
- Mighty Wings (Shrine of the Warlord)
- Bath Towel and Bath Robes (Thermae Nonupeipe)
Enemies
- Axebot: HP is now a fixed value instead of a range: 70 (was 70 to 78), and 80 at Ascension 8 (was 76 to 86).
- Infested Prism: no longer uses Radiate. Its pattern is now Jab, Jab, Whirlwind, Pulsate, and Pulsate now applies 1 Vulnerable instead of gaining 20 Block (22 at A8). Expect it to hit harder over a fight but be easier to burst down.
- Tunneler: Attack from Below is renamed From Below, and its damage rises from 23 to 24 (26 to 28 at A9).
Colorless Cards
- New colorless card: My Shinies.
- Salvo (nerfed): damage drops from 12(16) to 10(14).
Ironclad
- Expect a Fight (reworked): previously an Uncommon 3-cost Skill that granted 15(16) Block plus 5(8) Block per Strength. It now reads: "Gain 15(20) Block. Attacks in your Hand cost 1 less Energy until played." The card moves from a Strength-scaling defensive tool to a tempo card that sets up a big attack turn, which should make it playable in far more Ironclad decks.
- Forgotten Ritual (nerfed): reverted so it only gains 3(4) Energy if you Exhausted a card that turn.
Silent
- Expertise (reworked): now "Draw 2(3) cards. Retain your Hand this turn." Previously only the drawn cards gained Retain. Keeping the whole hand is a significant upgrade for setup-heavy Silent turns.
- Memento Mori (reworked): from a 1-cost attack that scaled with discards to a 3-cost attack with Sly that deals 19(23) damage to the enemy with the lowest HP. It is now a finisher designed for discard decks that can trigger Sly, rather than a cheap scaling attack.
- Speedster (buffed): damage up from 2 to 3.
- Phantom Blades (nerfed): additional Shiv damage down from 9(12) to 8(11).
Regent
- CHARGE!! (nerfed): Minion Dive Bomb damage drops from 13(16) to 11(13).
Defect
- Power Cell relic (buffed): now picks zero-cost cards without Innate before Innate ones, so it is less likely to waste a pick on a card you would draw anyway.
Potions and Relics
- Ringing Triangle (buffed): now gives Retain Hand at the start of combat, which means it stacks with other Retain Hand effects such as Equilibrium.
Writing, Interface and Quality-of-Life Changes
The patch includes several smaller changes that make the game easier to read and play:
- Tracking now says Weak enemies take 50% more damage from "your" Attacks, a wording fix that makes clear the bonus applies to your own Attacks.
- The Kaiser Crab boss's Rocket moves are renamed: Targeting Reticle becomes Calculating, Precision Beam becomes Precise Smash, and Laser becomes Rocket Claw.
- The Ambergris potion's buff is now called Extra Turn.
- The character select screen for Standard runs now starts on the character you last played (Random included), remembered separately for singleplayer and multiplayer.
- Controller navigation at the Merchant now wraps around rows and moves to the nearest item between cards, relics, potions and card removal.
- Inspecting a card shows its high-resolution portrait, and relics revealed from treasure chests show high-resolution art.
- Fiend Fire now shows how many times it will hit during combat.
Bug Fixes Worth Knowing About
The full bug fix list is long. These are the changes most likely to affect a run:
- Seeded runs are more consistent. Events and the merchant no longer change future card reward rolls, and a list of cards, potions and relics (including Uproar, Stampede, Catastrophe, Entropic Brew and Phial Holster) now use the correct random streams. Two players who launch in the same second also no longer get the same seed.
- Daily runs: scores now post to the day you played even if the daily resets while the game is open, and the leaderboard no longer lets you page into future days.
- Omnislice now triggers on-attack effects such as Reaper Form and Envenom on its second hit.
- Catastrophe can no longer push you past Velvet Choker's six-card limit.
- One for All now only boosts the damage of autoplayed cards that would have cost 0.
- Jeweled Mask: the power it makes free now stays free for the whole combat instead of only turn 1.
- Thieving Hopper can no longer steal Quest cards.
- Ceremonial Beast no longer regains Strength at the end of Plow if it was stunned during the attack.
Multiplayer and Controller Fixes
Co-op players get a substantial set of fixes. Potions can no longer be used or discarded while moving between rooms, which closes a softlock where a potion used just before a fight could stop the enemy turn from starting. Several Tutor card softlocks are fixed, Sic 'Em is now tracked separately for each player, and Act 3 maps no longer sometimes lack rest sites before the final row. Hosting a Daily Run no longer times out a friend who joins right away. Controller players get fixes for focus jumping to the hand at turn start and for a softlock when pressing the right mouse button while selecting a non-targeted card.
Performance
The Waterfall Giant fight has a shorter hitch on entry, and textures for Ancient backgrounds, high-resolution relics, Timeline art, the character select screen and some enemy effects are compressed so they load faster and use less memory.
Should You Switch to the Beta?
It depends on what you want from the game right now.
Switch if you want to play the Fool as soon as possible, enjoy discovering a new character without guides, want to try Blitz for shorter sessions, or are already close to Ascension 10 on every character and want a head start on Dread.
Stay on the main branch if you are in the middle of a run you care about, play co-op with friends who will not switch, or prefer stable balance. The main branch is already current with v0.111.0, and the Fool and the new modes will arrive there once Mega Crit considers them ready. No date has been given for that move.
Either way, switching branches is free and reversible, so trying the beta for an evening is a low-risk way to see the Fool before he changes.
What's Next for Slay the Spire 2
Mega Crit has said that the big features in this patch were part of its Early Access roadmap at launch, and that building them required the team to step back from regular balance updates for a few months. With the Fool and the two modes now in testing, the next stretch of beta patches is likely to focus on tuning them based on player feedback.
The studio has also confirmed a few other things. In the October Neowsletter, Casey Yano said additional Acts are "certainly in the pipes," that the team wants to add more longevity to co-op, and that Custom Runs will probably get a pass closer to the v1.0 launch. Part of the team is also heading to WePlay 2026 in Shanghai on November 21 and 22, where Slay the Spire 2 will have a booth with demos, merch, and a Q&A and signing with Casey.
Mega Crit's monthly Neowsletter is the best place to watch for news on when the Fool moves to the main branch.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I unlock the Fool in Slay the Spire 2?
The Fool is only on the public-beta branch for now. Right-click Slay the Spire 2 in your Steam library, open Properties, then Game Versions & Betas, and select public-beta. The patch notes do not list any separate unlock condition for the character on that branch.
Is the Fool on the main branch of Slay the Spire 2?
No. The Fool, Blitz and Dread are exclusive to the public-beta branch in v0.113.0. Mega Crit expects to make many content and balance changes before moving the Fool to the main branch, and no date for that has been announced.
How do you unlock Blitz mode?
Blitz unlocks once you complete an Ascension run of any difficulty. It has its own five Ascension levels, shared across all characters.
How do you unlock Dread mode in Slay the Spire 2?
Dread requires reaching Ascension 10 on every character, including the new Fool. Once unlocked, every Ascension modifier is active, bosses are stronger and buff all enemies in their Act, and Curses accumulate as you climb.
Can you play Blitz and Dread in co-op?
Yes. Mega Crit said ahead of the patch that the new game modes work in both singleplayer and multiplayer.
What changed on the main branch of Slay the Spire 2 on November 12?
The main branch was updated with all content and changes from beta v0.111.0. The new v0.113.0 content and balance changes, including the Fool, are not on the main branch.
Can I continue a beta run after switching back to the main branch?
Generally no. A run saved by a newer version can't be opened on an older one, and v0.113.0 now shows a message asking you to update instead of reporting a corrupt save. Finish or abandon beta runs before switching back.
What are the biggest balance changes in v0.113.0?
The largest are the reworks to Ironclad's Expect a Fight, which now discounts Attacks in your hand, and Silent's Expertise and Memento Mori, which now retains your whole hand and becomes a 3-cost Sly finisher respectively. Rest sites can also appear one floor earlier in every act, and Neow's Dowsing Rod transforms its card after 4 ? rooms instead of 5.
Final Word
v0.113.0 is the update Slay the Spire 2 players have been waiting on since August. The Fool gives the game its first new Early Access character, Blitz offers a fast drafting-focused alternative to a full climb, and Dread gives the most dedicated players a new ceiling to chase. The rest of the patch, from earlier rest sites to the Ironclad and Silent reworks, shifts the balance of the base game in meaningful ways.
All of it is experimental for now. For anyone happy to test, the public-beta branch is the place to be. Everyone else can wait for the Fool to arrive on the main branch in a more polished form.
Sources: Slay the Spire 2 Beta Patch Notes v0.113.0 and The Neowsletter, October 2026, both published by Mega Crit on Steam.
