Frequent readers (and why wouldn't you be?) may recall one of the more oddball stories last year involving the roguelike deckbuilder, Balatro, which was initially slapped with a PEGI 18 rating by the ratings board. This classification put it on par with content akin to Grand Theft Auto, which baffled many, including the developer.
However, it seems that the ratings board has recognized their mistake and has now reclassified Balatro with the more fitting PEGI 12 rating. Developer Localthunk took to Twitter to share the news, noting that this change came about partly due to an appeal by Balatro's publisher to the board.
This isn't the first time Balatro has been at odds with external organizations; it was also temporarily removed from the Nintendo eShop due to concerns over perceived gambling content. This is despite the fact that players can't win real money or place bets, with in-game cash used only as an abstract means to purchase more cards during each run.
As previously mentioned, one of the main reasons for Balatro's initial classification was its use 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.
This misclassification has also impacted platforms like mobile, where Balatro's rating was mirrored, despite the prevalence of in-app purchases in virtually every app on the platform. While a late correction is better than none, the initial error should never have occurred.
If this reclassification is finally persuading you to give Balatro a try, why not check out our tier list of Jokers to discover which of these game-changing cards are worth your while and which ones to avoid?
