Balatro's Creator Points Out Hypocrisy of Unexpected PEGI Rating

Shortly after celebrating the success of Balatro at The Game Awards 2024, the game's creator LocalThunk is criticizing PEGI for changing the game's 18+ rating at the start of the year – the highest age rating PEGI can give, and by far the most high Balatro received from any classification board. A rating of 18+ classifies Balatro as a game that is only available to adults and restricts minors from legally purchasing the game in the UK, although there are obviously ways around these restrictions.

In a post by @LocalThunk on X, the creator of Balatro drew the attention of PEGI due to the hypocrisy of BalatroRating for over 18ssaying “maybe I should add microtransactions/loot boxes/real games to bring this rating down to 3+ like EA sports FC“, referring specifically to EA Sports FC 25PEGI 3+ rating. Notably, FC 25Despite being a full-price game, it also includes a heavy focus on in-game microtransactions, encouraging players to spend additional money on a premium currency, FC Points, which can be used for in-game purchases, including card packs. random.

Balatro Developer disputes the game's PEGI rating for over 18s

Balatro creator calls out PEGI for inconsistent gambling ratings

THE PEGI website justifies Balatroof 18, saying that using real poker hands in the game teaches skills that “could be transferred to a real-life poker game“, combining Balatrothe game mechanics – although the game has relatively little to do with real poker, aside from the cosmetic elementshow to use poker hands to score or win chips equivalent to points. Alongside PEGI ratings for games like EA Sports FC 25 (3+) or Honkai: Star Trail (12+), which strongly encourage spending real money on gambling elements in the game, BalatroThose over 18 look like hypocrites.

Notably, LocalThunk also clarified that the hypocrisy of other games' ratings is more of a problem than Balatroclassification of in itself, saying in another post on X that “I'm much more irritated by the 3+ for games with real game mechanics for kids.” It is worth noting that, despite BalatroIn poker-themed gameplay, the cost of the game has always been the one-time upfront purchase of the game itself, no microtransactions or premium currencies, and all BalatroContent can be unlocked simply by playing it.

Balatro does less to encourage play than any game with loot boxes

Despite Balatro's poker-themed gameplay, the game isn't a major aspect

Alongside games with a strong emphasis on monetization through microtransactions, It's suspicious to think that Balatro encourages real-world gambling in any meaningful way. Although the game uses poker hands, its actual gameplay is a variation on the poker theme in deck-building roguelikes and is much more comparable to something like Kill the Spire than real, real-world poker.

As PEGI tightens its restrictions on depictions of gambling rather than actual gambling elements, however, it is uncertain whether the ratings of any Balatro or games with lots of microtransactions, like FC 25 will change in the future.

Although there is some validity to the point that Balatro can familiarize players with real poker hands, the game's 18+ rating is inconsistent compared to games that actually encourage real money play in in-game rewards, such as the infamous Arcane Fractured Jinx skin from League of Legends (rated 12+ by PEGI), which requires players to purchase in-game items for a small chance of getting the skin. Although BalatroIf the game's rating can be technically justified under PEGI guidelines, the ratings board may also want to review the ratings of other games.

Sources: @LocalThunk/X (1, 2), PEGI