Balatro's age rating has finally been lowered
Age rating is a very useful guidance for those worried about specific content in video games. Violence, nudity, mature themes, and others are not suitable for people of all ages and that's why these ratings are important. However, there are times when these ratings are arguably correct. Let's take Balatro, which is probably the most successful indie game released in recent years. Its age rating was 18+ just because some of its mechanics are related to poker. Games that promote any type of gambling have an age restriction but that's not exactly the case for Balatro. Despite the game features specific gameplay mechanics related to poker, it does not contain any kind of microtransactions and the skills gained by playing it don't seem to be transferable to a real-life game of poker. That's why an appeal submitted by publisher Sold Out Sales and Marketing has been successful. It has taken a while, but the age rating for the game has been lowered to 12+.
Uneven criteria?
Anyone who has played Balatro knows that the game includes so many fantasy elements that it has barely anything to do with a poker game. It is so much that its creator LocalThunk expressed its disappointment with the old rating. However, the reasons behind such disappointment were not the rating itself but the awkwardness of it. How can Balatro get an 18+ rating when EA Sports FC 25, which includes gambling mechanics in the form of random card packs, gets a 3+ rating? Well, this blunt comparison may just be the key behind the new rating but you can't keep wondering what would have happened if the appeal wasn't submitted.
"The PEGI 18 rating for the game ‘Balatro’ has been changed to a PEGI 12 following a successful appeal submitted by publisher Sold Out Sales & Marketing. The Complaints Board concluded that, although the game explains the various hands of poker, the roguelike deck-building game contained mitigating fantastical elements that warranted a PEGI 12 rating."
LocalThunk has welcomed the new rating as it opens the door for developers to create their games without fear of being severely punished.
After an appeal from my publisher, Balatro has been reclassified by PEGI from 18+ to 12+
— localthunk (@LocalThunk) February 24, 2025
This is a good step from PEGI - bringing nuance to their ratings criteria that used to be 18+ or nothing. I hope this change will allow developers to create without being unfairly punished
Meanwhile, Balatro continues its brilliant career supported by a spectacular number of copies sold. Also, the game is now available via Game Pass, allowing many new players subscribed to Microsoft's service to try it for no additional cost. Of course, if you want to get a copy of the game, the best method is to use our comparator to find the best discounts on Balatro game codes.
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