Deltarune’s “last patch” before Chapter 6 offers “Nicer or Meaner” modes for Chapter 5’s Shadow Crystal boss, with a sweeter reward if you up the difficulty

Deltarune just got its v0.0.253 patch, which is its final planned update before the release of Chapter 6. It includes a number of bug fixes, including softlocks, and the option to make one of Chapter 5’s most challenging bosses easier or harder.
The latest patch focuses on a number of bug fixes, particularly those related to softlocks that occur when you disconnect your headphones in certain parts of the game. Bugs where consumed items are no longer replenished and crashes when specific actions are performed have also been fixed.
However, the change that players are most excited – and angered – by is the change to Chapter 5’s Shadow Crystal Boss. This is a challenging optional boss hidden within the chapter that now has three difficulty options. If they defeat you, then a Pink Bomb will spawn outside the arena and you can activate it to make the fight “Nicer or Meaner.”
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We have uploaded a new patch for DELTARUNE on Steam and Playstation. This one adds an optional toggle to a certain boss’s bombs after you lose. This is the last patch we have planned for now. Thanks! pic.twitter.com/4xn4pPMgyyJuly 31, 2026
Choosing to make the fight Nicer will show you where certain attacks are targeting, and they will take a little longer before they hit, giving you more time to react. If you choose Meaner, then the boss will deal 25% more damage, and some attacks will be slightly faster.
Minor spoilers for the Chapter 5 Shadow Crystal boss ahead.
The patch notes include a cheeky line teasing that “girls like it when you are better at dodging danmaku.” This is actually a hint about the changes to the post-fight cutscene when you defeat Pink at the different difficulty settings. If you defeat her Meaner form, she will reward Kris with a flurry of kisses. However, if you choose the Nicer option, she’ll taunt you by poking her tongue out.
These differing cutscenes won’t meaningfully change your playthrough, so choose the difficulty you’re most comfortable with. However, if winning kisses from your pixel pink waifu are important to you, there’s a challenging road ahead.