MegaCrit has pushed a new Slay the Spire 2 update to the beta branch, and it is available to download right now. The patch adds a new character, The Fool, along with two new game modes, Blitz and Dread.
That is why players are checking the update today: the new content is already there, but only if they opt into the beta branch through Steam. I checked the update myself, and the patch notes are not just about new content. They also list a large number of quality-of-life changes, which makes this feel like a broad systems pass rather than a small content drop.
The Fool is being introduced as a silly musician who wields a bow, while Blitz is described as a condensed and chaotic deckbuilding-focused mode. Blitz unlocks after a player has completed an ascension run, and Dread is set aside for Ascension 10 players. That gives the update two different entry points for different kinds of players, but the headline addition remains the same: a new character is now in the beta branch, with more to come.
There is still one catch. MegaCrit said it expects to make a great number of content and balance changes before The Fool is ready for the main branch, which means this version is not the finish line. The update is live now, but the most important part of it may be what it becomes after the team finishes tuning it for wider release.
For now, the immediate answer is simple: if you want The Fool, Blitz, Dread, and the rest of the changes today, the beta branch is where they live. The main branch will have to wait until MegaCrit decides the new character is ready.
