Balatro Reclassified to PEGI 12 After Publisher's Appeal

Frequent readers (and why wouldn't you be?) may recall one of the more oddball stories last year concerning Balatro, the roguelike deckbuilder, which was initially classified as PEGI 18 by rating boards. This rating put it on the same level as content akin to Grand Theft Auto, which naturally baffled many, including the developer.

However, PEGI has now reclassified Balatro as PEGI 12, a more fitting rating in my opinion. According to developer Localthunk, who shared the news on Twitter, this change came about partly due to an appeal made by Balatro's publisher to the board.

This isn't the first time Balatro has faced scrutiny from external organizations. It was briefly removed from the Nintendo Eshop due to concerns over its perceived gambling content. This is despite the fact that players cannot win real money or place bets; the game uses cash merely as an abstract means to purchase more cards within each run.

The house always wins
One of the key reasons Balatro received such a high rating initially was due to its depiction of gambling-adjacent imagery. Essentially, the concern was that someone might learn what a straight flush or a flush is from the game.

It's particularly frustrating because Balatro's classification has also impacted its availability on mobile platforms. This is despite the widespread presence of in-app transactions across these platforms. So, while it's better late than never, the initial misclassification should not have occurred in the first place.

If this news is finally swaying you to give Balatro a try, why not check out our tier list of Jokers? It will help you determine which of these game-changing cards are worth your while and which ones to avoid.