The developers 58BLADES behind indie deckbuilder Handmancers announced they’re delaying their game s release after Megacrit revealed Slay the Spire 2 will launch into early access on March 5.
The small Italian studio made the decision public with straightforward reasoning. Launching anywhere near Slay the Spire 2 would likely crush their visibility and sales.
Many players won’t buy two deckbuilders in the same week, the developers explained in their announcement. They pointed to economic realities and the simple fact that attention in the deckbuilder space is about to shift entirely toward the sequel.
Handmancers is priced under $10, making it accessible on paper. But as players in the space noted, money isn t the only constraint. Time and attention matter just as much. If someone knows they ll be playing Slay the Spire 2 in two weeks, they re unlikely to start another deckbuilder now.
The original Slay the Spire essentially defined the modern deckbuilder roguelike format when it launched in 2017. Short runs, branching maps, card rewards, relics, and escalating difficulty became the template nearly every game in the genre follows. A sequel from Megacrit carries enough weight to reshape the entire conversation around deckbuilders for months.
For small indie studios, launch timing can make or break a game. The first few weeks determine Steam visibility, streamer coverage, and press attention. Releasing alongside a genre titan means fewer store page clicks, less creator interest, and almost no mindshare in the conversation.
Even launching today wouldn t help much. With Slay the Spire 2 only two weeks out, the genre s attention has already shifted. Players are already planning their time around it.
The Handmancers team plans to use the delay for polish and balance work. Content originally planned for a post-launch update will now ship at release instead.
Early access launches on PC often function like full releases. Streamers cover them, players invest hundreds of hours, and Steam s algorithms treat them like major events. For systemic games like deckbuilders, early access is especially viable since balance patches and content updates become part of the appeal.
When s the new date?
The developers will announce the new release date during an upcoming ThursdayFest showcase. No specific timing has been shared yet.
Moving a release date forward is rarely realistic for small teams. It requires finished QA, completed builds, approved store listings, and ready marketing materials. Delays are operationally simpler and allow for continued polish without compressing critical testing phases.
