Balatro Reclassified to PEGI 12 After Publisher's Appeal

Frequent readers of our site (and why wouldn't you be?) might recall one of the more peculiar stories from last year involving Balatro, the roguelike deckbuilder, which was initially classified as PEGI 18 by rating boards. This unexpected rating placed it alongside mature games like Grand Theft Auto, causing confusion and surprise among many, including the game's developer.

However, it appears that the PEGI board has recognized their mistake and has now reclassified Balatro to the more fitting (at least in my opinion) PEGI 12 rating. Developer Localthunk took to Twitter to share this update, crediting the appeal made by Balatro's publisher to the board for the reclassification.

This isn't the first time Balatro has encountered issues with external organizations. The game was briefly removed from the Nintendo eShop due to concerns over its perceived gambling content. This was despite the fact that players cannot win real money or place actual bets; the in-game currency is merely an abstract tool used to purchase more cards during each run.

As mentioned earlier, one of the primary reasons for the initial PEGI 18 rating was the game's depiction of gambling-adjacent imagery. Essentially, the concern was that players might learn about concepts like a straight flush or a flush, which was deemed as severe as vehicular homicide in games like GTA.

The misclassification of Balatro has also affected its availability on mobile platforms, despite the widespread presence of in-app purchases in mobile gaming. While it's better late than never, this reclassification should not have been necessary in the first place.

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