Slay the Spire 2 V0.102.0 Beta Patch Notes - Highlights and First Thoughts

Looking at the latest changes in the Slay the Spire 2 beta, we can make some interesting observations about the direction Mega Crit is looking to take the game in. Here are the key insights and a few first impressions.

As a reminder, these are beta changes and are only available in the dedicated testing track, which you can opt into separately. Not all these changes will make it to the main game, and everything is subject to change – like the controversial beta change to the Prepared card and its 0-Energy cost, which has been reverted since.

Slay the Spire 2 v0.102.0 Beta Patch Notes - key insights

Content

• New Badges system – these are end-of-run markers noting achievements like flawless boss kills, speed completions, easter eggs, or unspent gold. Run history/stats integration are coming later.
• New card art and enemy art additions
• New VFX for afflictions

General balance

• Ascension 6 reworked: "Gloom" (fewer rest sites) replaced by "Inflation": card removal at Merchants starts at 100 Gold, increases by 50 per removal instead of 25
• History Course changed: X-cost card copies now use current energy for X-value instead of the energy spent last time
• Nonupeipe's Fur Coat buffed: now affects restocked Axebots and mid-combat enemy spawns
• Skulking Colony buffed: now attacks on all turns and deals slightly more damage
• Doormaker reworked: Grasp turn now attacks for 20(23), new power "Whenever you play a card, lose 1 Energy"
• • the intention of this is clearly to make the fight harder, and it should be considered a buff.
• Various events changed
• • Nerfed Hungry For Mushrooms event: Fragrant Mushroom option upgraded cards decreased from 3 -> 2
  • Changed Waterlogged Scriptorium event:
  • • Prickly Sponge option gold cost lowered from 155 -> 99
    • Tentacle Quill gold cost lowered from 65 -> 55
  • Buffed Whispering Hollow event: Exchange option gold cost decreased from 50 -> 35+-9

Card changes

The Silent

• • Blade of Ink reworked
  • • previously: Rare - Cost 1 - Skill | This turn, whenever you play an Attack, gain 2(3) Strength this turn.
    • now: Rare - Cost 1 - Skill - Add 2(3) Inky Shivs into your Hand.
    • Inky is a new Enchantment - "This card deals 2 additional damage and applies 1 Weak."
    • The devs call this "an experiment with generating Enchanted cards mid-combat."
  • Leading Strike buffed:
  • • Shivs increased from 1 -> 2
    • Damage decreased from 7 -> 3
  • Speedster nerfed: damage decreased from 2(3) -> 1(2)
  • Untouchable nerfed: Block decreased from 7(9) -> 6(8)

The Necrobinder

• Borrowed Time reworked
• • previously: Uncommon - Cost 0 - Skill | Apply 3 Doom to yourself. Gain 1(2) Energy.
  • now: Uncommon - Cost 1 - Skill | Gain 4(6) Energy. Cards cost an additional Energy this turn.

QoL / Bug Fixes

• When re-entering the multiplayer host screen, the Ascension is now correctly synced
• Fixed a crash that could occur on startup after a Steam Cloud sync conflict
• Foul Potion description clarified to "ALL players and enemies" instead of "EVERYONE" (doesn't hit Osty)

Check out the full patch notes on Steam for more details and developer insights.

Slay the Spire 2 v0.102.0 Beta first impressions

I'm definitely not looking forward to the Doormaker's new power, but for a low-Ascension scrub like me, I can see how the character was in need of a buff. The Badges system is a fantastic way to add more texture to completed runs for committed players, and I imagine they will also play a part in Timeline/Epoch unlocks and achievements later down the line in a natural way.

Mega Crit continues with the quick iteration, which is nice to see. Anything that makes Shivs stronger is a win in my book.