On February 19, developer Mega Crit lastly introduced that Slay the Spire 2 has a launch date: March 5. For these of us who would gladly promote a kidney to get our fingers on the sequel to the perfect roguelike deckbuilder ever made (sorry, Balatro), that is unbelievable information. For each indie dev who was impressed to make a roguelike deckbuilder of their very own following the unique sport’s success, nevertheless, that is doubtlessly terrible information, as Slay the Spire 2’s early entry launch date is smack dab in the course of one of many busiest launch durations of the yr. It’s Silksong once more, and video games that have been set to launch round that point at the moment are shifting out of the best way.
Essentially the most well-publicized delay up to now is Handmancers, a roguelike deckbuilder from developer and writer 58BLADES. Because the devs revealed in a submit on X, Handmancers was presupposed to launch throughout the Flip-Based mostly Thursday Fest, a seven-day-long yearly occasion that’s scheduled to start on March 6. Contemplating that it begins a day after Slay the Spire 2’s March 5 launch date, this one seems like a wise name. “Yea…we’d get completely crushed,” the group wrote.
The builders behind Mini Tank Mayhem, a tower protection and deck-building technique sport from Algorocks, have but to substantiate precisely why their sport has immediately been delayed. Nonetheless, an obvious tester on Reddit claimed that Slay the Spire 2 is certainly in charge. Whereas a random touch upon Reddit is clearly not essentially the most dependable supply, the timing of Mini Tank Mayhem’s sudden delay is very suspicious. Its SteamDB historical past confirms that its 3 March, 2026 launch date was pushed again to April 30 (after which modified once more to April 29) mere hours after Slay the Spire 2’s newest trailer dropped.
Omelet You Cook dinner, a “cozy chaotic cooking roguelike” revealed by SchuBox Video games, was forward of the curve. The 2-man dev group accountable for the glorious Balatro-like meals prep sport determined to maneuver up its 1.0 launch again in January. As confirmed by co-developer Dan Schumacher throughout an interview with GamesRadar, they pulled it ahead out of concern that they’d be overshadowed by Slay the Spire 2’s yet-to-be confirmed (on the time) March launch window. “Each streamer we’d attain out to shall be taking part in it. Each roguelike enjoyer shall be checking it out. Even I’ll be taking part in a lot that I received’t have time to complete our sport!”
Whereas no different devs have but publicly introduced any Slay the Spire 2-related delays, it’s clearly turn out to be a preferred matter of dialogue amongst indie studios. Bermrad, the studio behind the hack-and-slash roguelite Trials of Valor, famous that their sport sharing “some components with Slay the Spire” was much less of a problem than the discharge date itself. Sadly, the 2 video games now share the identical launch date, as Bermrad introduced roughly three weeks in the past that Trials of Valor shall be dropping on March 5.
Different studios have as an alternative chosen to have slightly enjoyable with the elevated consideration on early March’s launch lineup. Grimslair’s developer, ThunderRam Studios, revealed on X that there shall be “no hiding within the bushes till the hype practice passes,” because the studio intends to stay to its beforehand introduced March 6 launch date. Fishagon, who’re engaged on the social gathering card sport Vice Versa, opted to repeat and paste 58BLADES’ announcement and swap it out with references to their sport as an alternative.
Video games have tried journey the hype wave for a high Steam launch earlier than. It’s primarily what the builders behind the respectable Metroidvania Journey of Samsara did final yr, launching on the identical day as Silksong. It didn’t go effectively. Different studios, happily, have been spared from making that selection themselves. Slumber Realm’s devs, Chugga Chugga LLC, introduced that their card sport roguelike received’t be prepared in time to compete with Slay the Spire 2 anyway, or, as they put it, “I assume in each sense it has no impression.”
