Players testing Slay the Spire 2’s new character The Fool are already calling for nerfs after Update v0.113.0 hit the Steam beta branch on November 12. “I’ve given them a go and holy crap are they powerful. I was on the lowest ascension admittedly, but I absolutely swept through the game with them. They can do some insane stuff pretty easily, I’d expect some very big nerfs,” one Reddit player wrote.
The Fool is the first new character added since the game entered early access in March 2026, and the update is the game’s biggest to date, Mega Crit said in the official Steam patch notes. The bard wields a bow, and his starting relic Song Bow grants six Aim every combat. His Foolish Shot shoots an Arrow dealing 15 damage, and Arrows stick in enemies, who must be hit three more times or killed to Dislodge them. One tarot card circulating on Reddit reportedly costs 0 energy, deals 3 damage for each floor traveled, and can deal upwards of 60 damage late in a run.
Mega Crit already expects to nerf him
The developer is not disputing the early verdict. “We expect to make a great number of content and balance changes before the Fool is ready for the main branch,” Mega Crit said in the patch notes. Another Reddit user called the character’s numbers absurd, suggesting he practically starts the game with free strength.
Only beta-branch players can try the character for now. Opting in requires opening the game’s properties on Steam, going to the Game Versions and Betas tab, and selecting “public-beta” from the dropdown. A date for the content’s arrival on the main branch has not been announced.
The update also adds Blitz and Dread
Update v0.113.0 also brings two new game modes. Blitz is a condensed, chaotic deckbuilding-focused mode with no map, no gold, and four encounters per Act, unlocked by completing an Ascension run on any difficulty. “All ascension modifiers are enabled. Bosses are stronger and buff all enemies in their Act. Curses will also pile up as you climb the Spire. Death is expected,” the patch notes say of Dread, the second new mode. Dread is aimed at players who found the game’s top difficulty too easy, and it is unlocked by reaching Ascension 10 with every character, including The Fool.
