Steam users flooded Slay the Spire two with negative reviews in March 2024 after Mega Crit released an experimental balance‑test update.

The surge matters because review scores influence visibility on Steam, affect prospective buyers, and can pressure developers to roll back or further tweak gameplay changes.

Mega Crit rolled out the experimental balance‑test patch on March 20, 2024, introducing new difficulty modifiers and card‑strength adjustments that diverged from the game’s original design philosophy[2].

Within hours, the game’s Steam page saw a sharp decline in its rating as dozens of low‑star reviews appeared. The concurrent player count, which peaked at 574,638 after launch, began to slip as the community reacted to the sudden influx of criticism[1].

Analysis of the reviewer accounts shows that the majority of the new negative reviews originated from users whose Steam location data points to China[3]. The Escapist Magazine report did not specify a geographic origin, noting only that the review bomb was coordinated[4].

The incident underscores a growing pattern in the gaming industry where developers test features through live patches, and a segment of the player base responds with organized rating campaigns. Such actions can distort the perceived quality of a title and complicate the feedback loop developers rely on for post‑launch support.

While Mega Crit has not issued a formal statement, the patch remains live, and the developer’s forums indicate that some players are requesting the option to opt out of experimental branches. The ongoing debate highlights the tension between innovation and player expectations in live‑service games.

“The March 20 patch introduced experimental balance changes that altered difficulty.”

The review bomb illustrates how rapid, experimental updates can trigger coordinated backlash, especially when changes affect core difficulty. For developers, the episode serves as a caution to communicate test patches clearly and provide opt‑out mechanisms, while players should recognize that review scores may sometimes reflect protest rather than long‑term quality.