Developer Mega Crit announced that the upcoming roguelike deckbuilder Slay the Spire II will launch in early access on March 5 for PC via Steam. A release date trailer was also unveiled, featuring an animated cutscene and gameplay footage showcasing several features, including the return of the Defect, new abilities, new Acts, multiplayer functionality, and more.

The full details:

The ultimate roguelike deckbuilder returns!

For 1,000 years, the Spire lay dormant, its secrets buried and its horrors forgotten. Now, it has reopened, hungrier and more dangerous than ever, devouring all who dare to ascend.

New perils demand sharper strategies, relentless cunning, and unwavering resolve. Outwit the Spire’s brutal trials and uncover the truths hidden at its peak.

Will you attempt the climb alone or enlist the aid of your fellow adventurers?

An Ever-Changing Spire

Step into the newly evolved Spire, a twisted labyrinth teeming with strange and deadly foes. Adapt to an arsenal of brand new cards, relics, and potions, each offering game-changing possibilities—or dangerous consequences.

Climb the Spire with a new and returning cast of characters, each with their own cards, motives, and secrets.

No two climbs are ever the same. Unpredictable challenges and evolving strategies await those brave—or foolish—enough to ascend.

Climb Alone or With Allies

Brave the ascent on your own, or play with up to four players and face the Spire together in the all new cooperative mode. Discover multiplayer-specific cards, powerful team synergies, and carry your friends (or get carried) to victory!

A New and Returning Cast of Characters

Embark on your quest to Slay the Spire as one of five different characters, some of whom will be familiar to seasoned Slayers and two of whom who are brand new. Discover each character’s unique playstyle, full potential, and secret backstory as you conquer all who stand in their way.

Uncover the Spire’s Lore

The history of the Spire and its inhabitants, be they friend or foe, can now be discovered in entirely new ways. Unlock fragments of its mysterious timeline and encounter the most ancient of its residents through your myriad attempts.

More to Come in Early Access

The Spire truly is ever-changing… in more ways than one. More content—including cards, events, environments, enemies, and more—will be added and balanced throughout Early Access. Join the journey early to be a part of the Spire’s next evolution.

Why release in Early Access, you ask? Slay the Spire‘s success comes from our community! It sounds corny, but the extra mile many of you went to report issues, translate content/announcements, create long video essays, make excellent (lol) tier lists, and draw goofy or gorgeous fan art is the reason we’re doing it all again. We love our job!

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It's somehow been over seven years since Slay the Spire launched on Steam, and its sequel is apparently ready to join the fray in early access after a wait that felt like it would never end.

Slay the Spire 2, one of the most wishlisted titles on Steam, is finally unleashing onto PC in just a couple of weeks. The original game was a driving force behind the explosive popularity of roguelike deckbuilders, and now the devs at Mega Crit have returned to take the crown once more.

In a new Early Access Trailer released this afternoon, Slay the Spire 2 teased what to expect from the launch on PC that will eventually also come to console and mobile like its predecessor after the game's initial EA release.

As was the case with the original, the early access launch allows Mega Crit to include the players in its early stages of development all the way through 1.0 launch across multiple platforms, so PC gamers can get in on the ground floor to help shape it.

"It sounds corny, but the extra mile many of you went to report issues, translate content/announcements, create long video essays, make excellent (lol) tier lists, and draw goofy or gorgeous fan art is the reason we're doing it all again," Mega Crit said of releasing STS2 in early access again. "We love our job!"

Slay the Spire is one of the first roguelike deck builders I remember playing, and it's been fun to see the genre take shape even more since it launched back in 2019. Now, gamers are chomping at the bit to see what new fun stuff the devs are cooking up this time.

"Step into the newly evolved Spire, a twisted labyrinth teeming with strange and deadly foes," the game's description says. "Adapt to an arsenal of brand new cards, relics, and potions, each offering game-changing possibilities—or dangerous consequences. Climb the Spire with a new and returning cast of characters, each with their own cards, motives, and secrets. No two climbs are ever the same. Unpredictable challenges and evolving strategies await those brave—or foolish—enough to ascend."

You can follow up to date with all Slay the Spire 2 news on its Steam page and play it as soon as it's available: March 5, which is right around the corner.

The post Slay the Spire 2 finally locks in early access date, and we’ll all be building decks very soon appeared first on Destructoid.