Balatro is a deckbuilding game with a unique and engaging concept. Players seem to enjoy the game, as evidenced by the overwhelmingly positive reviews and high user satisfaction rating of 97% on Steam. The focus on illegal poker hands, game-changing jokers, and adrenaline-pumping combos suggests a dynamic and entertaining gameplay experience.
Removal from Nintendo eShop and PEGI Rating Dispute
Despite its release across various consoles, including Xbox, PlayStation, Switch, and PC, Balatro has gained popularity as a captivating and addictive deck-building experience. The game utilizes poker mechanics and hands as the basis for a unique roguelike adventure centered around achieving massive combos through power-ups and special cards. Players accumulate chips as they progress, which are solely used as currency for acquiring upgrades and new cards, with no gambling involved. However, the game’s poker theme, along with references to betting processes like big and small blinds, has seemingly triggered an overnight change in Balatro’s rating, leading to its removal from the Nintendo eShop in certain regions. On March 1, Playstack, the publisher of Balatro, confirmed via Twitter that the game had been removed from “some countries” on certain consoles. In an email to Kotaku, PlayStack clarified that the removal primarily affected the Nintendo Switch eShop in most of Europe, with Kotaku’s investigation confirming its absence from Germany and the UK eShops but still available in the US. Other console stores appear unaffected, but the PEGI rating for Balatro on the PSN and Xbox has shifted from 3+ to 18+, prompting the sudden removal from some stores, according to Playstack. Playstack explained on March 1 via Twitter that the issue did not originate from the stores themselves but was a response to an abrupt change in Balatro’s age rating from 3+ to 18+ by a ratings board. The board believed the game “contains prominent gambling imagery and material that instructs about gambling,” a decision vehemently contested by PlayStack. They emphasized that Balatro neither allows nor encourages gambling and underscored their belief that the rating decision is unfounded. PlayStack expressed disappointment in the PEGI ratings board, citing prior discussions with them in October, where they were assured that the disclosure of gambling themes was unwarranted. According to Playstack, nothing in the game has changed since the original rating approval.Positive Developments: Balatro’s Mac Release and Ongoing Efforts
Playstack reassured players that those who have already purchased the game will still be able to play it, even if it has been removed from their region’s eShop. They are actively working to restore the game for sale as soon as possible. In a similar incident in May 2023, another card-based indie game faced eShop release delays due to gambling-related jokes. On a positive note, Balatro has been released on Mac following its latest update. The hope is that Switch users will soon be able to resume collecting creepy jokers and achieving big combos in what is considered one of the standout games of 2024.
