Ante Chamber Update Expands Vampire Survivors with Balatro Characters, New Arms, Castlevania Additions, and Online Co-op
Developer poncle has released the free “Ante Chamber” update for Vampire Survivors, bringing a host of Balatro-themed additions, new weapons and evolutions, further Castlevania content, and the long-awaited online co-op. The update is available now on PlayStation, Xbox, PC (Steam), and mobile platforms; the Nintendo Switch and Epic Games Store versions are slated to arrive Friday, October 31.
The Ante Chamber pack introduces four playable Balatro characters — Jimbo, Canio, Chicot, and Perkeo — alongside four new weapons that evolve into Infernolatro, Gros Michel, Fibonacci Seltzer, and the Celestial Booster. These tools pair with a brand-new battleground, The Ante Chamber, a surreal stage reflecting Balatro’s peculiar aesthetic.
Accompanying the stage is a whimsical ally called the Outer Saboteur, a mischievous companion that pilfers your coins and hurls them at foes. The update also debuts “Survarots,” a new mechanic that functions like thematic power modifiers: they’re similar in spirit to Arcana cards and grant varied bonuses. Ante Chamber implements Survarots as an early test before the mechanic reaches the base game.
Update 1.14 expands last year’s Ode to Castlevania bundle with a second content drop: 16 additional characters (promised to be even more obscure than the previous set), a new, expansive adventure described as the largest yet from poncle, 16 new weapons and weapon unions, and 12 fresh music tracks. This extra Castlevania material is complimentary for owners of the Ode to Castlevania DLC (the DLC itself is available for purchase for $3.99). More details are available on the Steam store page for the DLC.
One of the update’s marquee features is online co-op that lets players explore independently rather than staying locked together on a shared screen. To begin a session, choose “Online” from the main menu and opt to host or join a room. Hosts receive a visible room code in the corner of the screen that friends can use to join. For a full explanation of how online co-op functions, see poncle’s online FAQ.
The press release also teases two substantial upcoming updates, one of which will outline the team’s broader plans for Vampire Survivors going forward. poncle says more information will be revealed soon.
For further reading, see Game Informer’s review of Vampire Survivors.
