Balatro Devs Argue Poker Roguelike Does Not Encourage Gambling as It Vanishes From Some Stores
Balatro publisher Playstack Games has taken to social media to defend its poker roguelike after fans noticed it had been removed from certain stores.
Players started to point out Balatro’s disappearance over the last few days, with some taking to social media to express their concerns. Reddit user JustASmith27, for example, was unable to find the Nintendo Switch eShop store page in the U.K. Players from other countries, such as Australia, have reported that they are running into the same roadblock as well.
Mainly, the problem seems isolated to Nintendo Switch stores outside of the U.S. Playstack shared an explanation behind Balatro’s disappearance on X/Twitter, saying that the team is working “as hard as we can to get the game back on sale as soon as possible.” With some territories still able to purchase Balatro without issue, the publisher confirms its removal is tied to a sudden change in its age rating.
“This is not an issue with the stores themselves, however a reaction to an overnight change to Balatro’s age rating from 3+ to 18+ by a ratings board without any advance warning,” Playstack said, “due to a mistaken belief that the game ‘contains prominent gambling imagery and material that instructs about gambling.’”
Playstack adds that it addressed gambling concerns with the ratings board in October. At the time, Balatro was labeled 3+ after receiving an initial rating of 18+.
“During that specific appeal, the ratings board assured us 'we have reviewed your product and determined that the disclosure of gambling themes was unwarranted,’” Playstack added. “The game content has not changed since the age rating was amended to a 3+.”
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The Playstack team says they “fundamentally believe the ratings decision is unfounded,” mentioning that LocalThunk, Balatro’s sole developer, is “staunchly anti-gambling.” LocalThunk took to X/Twitter to share their own thoughts on the matter, doubling down on their stance against the accusation that Balatro
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