Slay the Spire 2 is experiencing a second wave of review-bombing on Steam, causing its overall rating to drop to "Mostly Negative" [1].
The sudden shift in player sentiment highlights the volatility of early-access and experimental updates in the gaming industry, where small balance changes can trigger massive community reactions.
The decline follows an experimental branch balance-test patch released March 20, 2024 [3]. According to data from Gamespot, 39% of roughly 55,000 reviews posted in the last 30 days are unfavorable [2]. This surge in negative feedback shifted the game's standing from "Overwhelmingly Positive" to "Mostly Negative" [1].
Reports on the cause of the backlash are divided. Some outlets attribute the bombing to discontent over the specific balance changes introduced in the March 20 update [3]. Other reports suggest the movement is driven by nationalist backlash from players in China [4].
Developer Mega Crit has responded to the community regarding the changes. The studio said to Gamespot, "The balance changes aren’t final; we’re still listening to feedback" [5]. The developer also said to the publication to "lower your Shivs" [5].
The review-bombing trend is not an isolated incident for the title, as this represents a second wave of coordinated negative reviews on the Steam store page [1]. While the developers continue to iterate on the game's balance, the discrepancy between the game's critical reception and its current Steam rating remains stark [1].
“The balance changes aren’t final; we’re still listening to feedback.”
This situation illustrates the tension between iterative game development and consumer perception. By using an experimental branch for balance testing, Mega Crit attempted to gather data before a full rollout, but the resulting 'review-bombing' shows how players often use public storefront ratings to voice immediate grievances rather than using dedicated feedback channels. The conflicting reports regarding nationalist sentiment further suggest that global gaming communities can be influenced by geopolitical factors beyond simple gameplay mechanics.
