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 the roguelike deckbuilder, Balatro, which was initially classified as PEGI 18 by rating boards. This placed it on the same level of content as games like Grand Theft Auto, much to the bewilderment of many, including the developer.

However, it seems that PEGI has recognized their mistake and has now reclassified Balatro to a more fitting PEGI 12 rating. Developer Localthunk took to Twitter to share this news, noting that the change was prompted in part by an appeal from Balatro's publisher to the ratings board.

This isn't the first time Balatro has encountered issues with external organizations. It was also temporarily removed from the Nintendo eShop due to concerns about its gambling-like content. This is despite the fact that players cannot win real money or place bets, and in-game currency is used only as an abstract means to purchase more cards during each run.

As mentioned earlier, one of the primary reasons Balatro received such a high rating was due to its depiction of gambling-adjacent imagery. Essentially, the game was considered as severe as vehicular homicide in GTA because it might teach players about concepts like a straight flush or a flush.

The classification has also affected other platforms, such as mobile, despite the widespread presence of in-app purchases across various apps. While it's better late than never for this correction, it's frustrating that the initial misclassification occurred at all.

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 using and which ones you might want to skip.