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 from last year involving Balatro, the roguelike deckbuilder, which was initially classified as PEGI 18 by rating boards. This surprising classification placed it on the same level as content like Grand Theft Auto, baffling many, including the game's developer.

However, it appears that PEGI has recognized their mistake and has reclassified Balatro to the more suitable PEGI 12 rating. Developer Localthunk announced this update on Twitter, attributing the change to an appeal made by Balatro's publisher to the ratings board.

This isn't the first time Balatro has faced scrutiny from external organizations; it was also temporarily removed from the Nintendo Eshop due to concerns over its perceived gambling content. Yet, players cannot win real money or place bets in the game, and the use of cash is merely an abstract way to buy more cards during each run.

As previously mentioned, one of the main reasons for Balatro's initial harsh classification was its depiction of gambling-adjacent imagery. Essentially, the game's use of terms like "straight flush" or "flush" was seen as potentially problematic.

The situation is further complicated by the fact that Balatro's initial PEGI 18 rating was also applied to mobile platforms. This is ironic, given the prevalence of in-app transactions across many mobile games. While the reclassification to PEGI 12 is a welcome change, it raises questions about why such a misstep occurred in the first place.

If this news has piqued your interest in trying out Balatro, why not check out our tier list of Jokers? It'll help you determine which of these game-changing cards are worth your attention and which ones to avoid.