Slay the Spire 2 has had a huge start on Steam after launching in Early Access. The game reached more than 350,000 concurrent players within its first 24 hours, making it the highest-peaking roguelike game in Steam history. The number also pushed it into the list of the most played games on the platform, behind only major titles like Counter-Strike 2 and Dota 2 during that period.
The strong launch also stood out because another big game released at the same time. Bungie’s extraction shooter Marathon reached a peak of around 88,000 players, which is still a solid number for a new release. However, Slay the Spire 2 recorded almost four times more players, something many fans did not expect.
The difference in numbers led to discussions on social media. The developer of Slay the Spire, MegaCrit, posted a message celebrating the launch, but some players felt the post looked like it was taking a jab at Bungie. Because of this, the tweet quickly spread online and fans started debating the meaning behind it.
Later, MegaCrit co-founder Casey Yano explained that the message came across harsher than the team meant it to be. He said the studio was simply surprised that an indie deck-building game managed to reach more players than a big AAA title. Bungie’s community managers responded in a positive way and congratulated MegaCrit on the successful launch.
Players on X (formerly Twitter) have shared many reactions after the launch of Slay the Spire 2. Many people are happy to see the indie studio MegaCrit succeed again. One user said they were glad that the developers stayed true to their style even after the big success of the first game. They also said the sequel already feels like a great game even though it is still in Early Access, and added that beating Resident Evil 9 in player numbers made the moment even better.
Another user pointed out that it is not surprising that a casual card game sequel is getting huge numbers, especially when it follows one of the most popular indie games, while a new competitive PvP shooter costs about $20 more.
Some people also reacted with jokes. One post said it is funny that Sony spent around $3 billion to buy Bungie, yet an indie game made by a very small team is currently getting more players on Steam.
Right now, Slay the Spire 2 is available in Early Access on PC. The first Slay the Spire helped make the roguelike deck-building genre popular and later launched on consoles after its full release. Because the sequel has started so strongly, many expect it to follow the same path and release on consoles once the game reaches its full 1.0 version.
