Balatro's PEGI Rating Upgraded to 12

Balatro, the roguelike deckbuilder, has received a significant reclassification from PEGI 18 to PEGI 12. This decision, made by the ratings board, follows an appeal by Balatro's publisher. The initial PEGI 18 rating placed Balatro alongside mature titles like Grand Theft Auto, a classification that surprised both the developer, Localthunk, and many players. The revised PEGI 12 rating is considered more appropriate.

This isn't Balatro's first brush with regulatory issues. The game was briefly removed from the Nintendo eShop due to concerns about its gambling content, despite the fact that players cannot win real money or place real-money bets. The game's in-game currency is solely used to purchase additional cards within each playthrough.

The initial PEGI 18 rating stemmed from the game's depiction of gambling-related imagery, a factor leading to its comparison with games featuring significantly more mature content. This misclassification also affected mobile platforms, despite the prevalence of in-app purchases in many mobile games.

While the corrected PEGI 12 rating is a welcome change, the initial misclassification highlights potential inconsistencies in rating systems. For those interested in trying Balatro, our tier list of Jokers can help determine which cards are most valuable.