Slay the Spire 2 launched in early access on March 5, 2026, and within days Mega Crit's deckbuilding roguelike had climbed to a peak of 526,793 concurrent players on Steam, securing a spot in the platform's all-time top 20 most-played games and marking the biggest single game launch on Steam in 2026 so far.
Record Numbers Right Out of the Gate
Slay the Spire 2 didn't ease into its early access period. The game set a new Steam concurrent player record for a roguelike within its first 24 hours, hitting 282,314 players before that figure was completely overtaken in the days that followed. The final reported peak of 526,793 puts it ahead of several major titles in Steam's historical rankings.
For context, here's how Slay the Spire 2 stacks up against some notable Steam peaks:
The game also outpaced the open beta of Battlefield 6 and surpassed Terraria in concurrent player count. Sitting just behind Path of Exile 2 and Hollow Knight: Silksong, it claimed 20th place among the most-played games in Steam's history.
Among 2026 launches specifically, the gap is significant. The next closest titles include Resident Evil Requiem at 344,214 peak players, Mewgenics at 115,428, and Marathon at 88,337.
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These figures are based on SteamDB data reported across multiple outlets around March 7-8, 2026. Player counts fluctuate, and the all-time ranking position may shift as other major titles release later in the year.
What Surprised Everyone
What surprised most observers wasn't just the numbers themselves, but the speed at which they arrived. This is an early access title, not a full release. Slay the Spire 2 launched at $25 (£19.70), a price point that clearly lowered the barrier for both returning fans of the original and new players curious about the genre.
Player reception backed up the numbers. The game quickly accumulated around 9,000 reviews on Steam, sitting at an Overwhelmingly Positive rating with 97% of those reviews recommending it. That kind of approval rating alongside a half-million concurrent players is rare at any stage of a game's lifecycle, let alone during early access.
Mega Crit has been transparent that the game is still being shaped, with tweaks and additions planned throughout the early access period. That hasn't slowed anyone down.
Card drafting mid-run
Crushing the Original's Legacy
The scale of Slay the Spire 2's launch becomes clearer when placed next to its predecessor. The original Slay the Spire, released in 2019, reached an all-time Steam peak of 57,025 concurrent players. That was a strong result for an indie deckbuilder at the time, and it helped establish the genre for years of games that followed.
The sequel didn't just beat that number. It nearly multiplied it by ten within its first weekend. At the same moment Slay the Spire 2 was sitting at over half a million concurrent players, the original title had roughly 14,000 players active simultaneously.
That's not just growth. That's a different category of success entirely.
What Comes Next
The all-time top 20 position may not be permanent. Several major titles are still expected to hit Steam in 2026, including Grand Theft Auto 6, Forza Horizon 6, and Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, all of which could push higher peaks. But for now, Slay the Spire 2 holds that spot, and the momentum shows no sign of collapsing.
For a $25 early access deckbuilder from an indie studio, that's a statement. The deeper question is whether Mega Crit can maintain this player base as the early access period continues and content builds toward a full release.
The foundation is clearly there. The numbers prove it.
Is Slay the Spire 2 the biggest Steam launch of 2026?
As of early March 2026, yes. With a peak of 526,793 concurrent players, it surpasses every other Steam launch this year, including Resident Evil Requiem at 344,214 and Mewgenics at 115,428.
How does Slay the Spire 2 compare to the original game?
The original Slay the Spire peaked at 57,025 concurrent players on Steam across its entire lifetime. The sequel surpassed that figure many times over within its first few days of early access.
What is the price of Slay the Spire 2 in early access?
Slay the Spire 2 launched in early access at $25 USD, or £19.70 in the UK.
Where does Slay the Spire 2 rank in Steam history?
With a peak of 526,793 concurrent players, Slay the Spire 2 entered the all-time top 20 most-played games on Steam, sitting just behind Path of Exile 2 and Hollow Knight: Silksong in the historical rankings.
