Frequent readers (and why wouldn't you be?) may recall one of the more oddball stories last year involving Balatro, the roguelike deckbuilder, which was initially classified as PEGI 18 by rating boards. This classification placed it on the same level as content akin to Grand Theft Auto, which naturally baffled many, including the developer.
However, it seems that PEGI has recognized their error and reclassified Balatro to the more fitting PEGI 12 rating. According to developer Localthunk, who announced the news on Twitter, this change came about in part due to an appeal by Balatro's publisher to the board.
This isn't the first time Balatro has faced scrutiny from external organizations. It was also briefly removed from the Nintendo eShop due to concerns over perceived gambling content. This is despite the fact that players cannot win real money or place bets, and the only use of cash in the game is as an abstract means to purchase more cards within each run.
As mentioned above, one of the key reasons Balatro was initially classified as PEGI 18 was due to its depiction of gambling-adjacent imagery. Essentially, the concern was that players might learn about concepts like a straight flush or a flush, which was seen as comparable to vehicular homicide in GTA.
This classification issue has also affected Balatro's availability on mobile platforms, despite the widespread presence of in-app transactions in many games. While a late correction is better than none, the initial misclassification should not have occurred in the first place.
If this news is finally swaying you to try out Balatro, why not check out our tier list of Jokers to discover which of these game-changing cards are worth your time and which ones aren't?
