Slay the Spire 2 launched in early access this Thursday to overwhelming success, peaking at 430,456 concurrent players on Steam and securing the #1 spot on the global top sellers list, far exceeding initial developer expectations.
From “Chicken Noodle Soup” to Steam Sensation
Developer Mega Crit previously expressed a humble outlook regarding the sequel’s reception. Last year, co-founder Casey Yano described the original game—and by extension, the franchise—as the “chicken noodle soup of videogames.” At the time, Yano noted, “It’s not exciting, but I hope people like our soup,” downplaying the massive anticipation surrounding the title.
The reality of the launch, however, proved that players are hungrier for this “soup” than anyone anticipated. The game has not only dominated the charts but has also significantly outperformed major industry releases, including Bungie’s new extraction shooter, Marathon.
Outperforming Industry Heavyweights
While the market is currently saturated with high-profile titles—including Marathon, Arc Raiders, Helldivers 2, and the resurgent Overwatch—Slay the Spire 2 has carved out a massive audience. Mega Crit playfully addressed the competition, joking on launch day that fans shouldn’t let “small indie passion projects” like Marathon distract them, despite the deckbuilder’s clear lead in player engagement on Steam.
A Mathematical Future for the Franchise
The studio has been vocal about the staggering growth between the two titles. Mega Crit noted that the sequel’s early concurrent player peak represented a “92,982% increase” over the original Slay the Spire. In a tongue-in-cheek projection, the developers joked that, based on this trajectory, “StS3 is on track to hit 166,861,777 concurrent players by 2035.”
For now, the player base seems more than satisfied with what the studio has served up. As the early access period continues, it is clear that this “good soup” has become a defining hit of the year.
