Slay the Spire 2 just launched to massive numbers. Three weeks of major releases still ahead.
One week into March and the month is already delivering. Slay the Spire 2 entered Early Access yesterday on PC to numbers that caught even veteran observers off guard. The rest of the month has three more major release windows lined up, including Crimson Desert and Death Stranding 2 on March 19. Here is what we know about everything still coming.
What just launched: Slay the Spire 2 and Marathon
Slay the Spire 2 hit Steam Early Access on March 5 and immediately became one of the most-played games on the platform. Mega Crit is following the same early access roadmap as the original, with a full 1.0 release estimated in 2027. Day one includes a full co-op mode supporting up to four players, which the first game never had. The sequel adds new cards, new enemy types, and an expanded Spire structure. Early player reception has been overwhelmingly positive.
Marathon also launched on March 5. Bungie’s return to their pre-Halo franchise is a PvP extraction shooter with a distinctive art style that generated significant discussion during its alpha phase. The game supports DLSS Super Resolution and Nvidia Reflex on PC. Early player numbers are strong, though first-week impressions of extraction shooters typically take a few days to settle.
Planet of Lana 2 released the same day on PC and consoles, the cinematic platformer sequel continuing the story of Lana and Mui. Quieter release than the other two, but reception from players of the first game has been warm.
March 12: the largest single-day release cluster
The week of March 12 is where things become genuinely crowded. Four notable games land on the same date.
Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly Remake arrives on PC, PS5, Switch 2, and Xbox Series X/S. The original 2003 PlayStation 2 survival horror game has a devoted following, and this is a full remake rather than a remaster. Players use a Camera Obscura to capture and defeat ghosts, and the remake updates the control scheme and visuals while preserving the core tension of the original.
Solasta 2 enters Early Access on PC on the same date. The tactical RPG sequel uses the 2024 D&D rules system and adds expanded party creation and a new continent. Comparisons to Baldur’s Gate 3 are inevitable given the ruleset overlap, though Tactical Adventures is working at a different scale and budget.
GreedFall 2: The Dying World also launches March 12 across PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S. Spiders’ action RPG is a prequel to the first game, switching perspective to a Teer Fradee native navigating a crisis in the wider world. The first GreedFall built a quiet following on the strength of its narrative and faction system.
John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando rounds out the March 12 slate. The FPS developed in collaboration with the director is a horror-comedy about a zombie outbreak triggered by a “Sludge God.” Co-op support for up to four players.
Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection follows on March 13, one day later. The turn-based RPG spin-off continues the Stories subseries with new monster companions and a story set in a kingdom dealing with a mysterious catastrophe.
March 19: the month’s biggest releases
The 19th is the date most PC players are watching. Two major titles land simultaneously.
Crimson Desert from Pearl Abyss is an open-world action RPG that was originally conceived as a prequel to Black Desert Online before being redesigned as a standalone single-player experience. The game follows Kliff and the Greymanes mercenary company across the continent of Pywel. DLSS 4 with Multi Frame Generation is supported on PC, as is DLSS Ray Reconstruction. Previews from press who played extended demos described the combat as ambitious and the world as genuinely large.
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach releases on PC the same day, nine months after its PS5 launch. Kojima Productions’ sequel supports DLSS 4 Multi Frame Generation and arrives with the same physics and traversal systems that defined the first game. PC players who skipped the console release now have access.
The Steam Spring Sale runs March 19 to 26, which means both Crimson Desert and Death Stranding 2 launch directly into the sale period. The timing is worth noting for players considering whether to wait for a discount on either title.
The rest of the month
Life is Strange: Reunion arrives March 26, reuniting Max and Chloe for what developer Deck Nine has described as a conclusion to their story. The game is set at a university following the events of Double Exposure.
Screamer, an arcade racing game, also launches March 26 on PC and consoles.
The wider picture
It is worth noting that March’s density is partly a function of timing. Several publishers appear to have targeted the window before the Steam Spring Sale, and the absence of a February equivalent to Resident Evil Requiem left room for March to absorb more releases than typical.
The simultaneous launch of Crimson Desert and Death Stranding 2 on March 19 will be the month’s clearest test of where player attention lands when two high-profile releases compete directly. Both have strong PC audiences and arrive with the same DLSS 4 feature set, which should make direct performance comparisons straightforward.
PERFRIG will continue covering the significant PC releases as they land throughout the month.
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