Summary
- Balatro’s European age rating has been changed from PEGI 18 to 12 following a publisher complaint.
- The hit roguelike was initially hit with an adult-only classification due to its poker theme.
- PEGI acknowledged that the Balatro situation highlights the need for it to change its rating system and has consequently decided to develop more granular classification criteria to account for such games.
Balatro is no longer classified as an 18+ game in Europe, PEGI has announced. The regulator revised Balatro‘s age rating as a result of a publisher complaint.
The deck-building roguelike made by the anonymous Canadian developer LocalThunk was released to widespread international success in February 2024. This is in spite of the fact that Balatro‘s digital storefront visibility was limited in Europe as a result of PEGI classifying it as an adult-only title. The regulator cited the roguelike’s poker theme as the main reason for this decision, arguing that the game teaches people how to play real-life poker, thus serving as a gateway to gambling. LocalThunk has repeatedly ridiculed Balatro‘s PEGI 18 rating on social media.
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This unusual situation has now played out to completion, resulting in Balatro‘s PEGI rating being amended on February 24. The regulator downgraded the roguelike from PEGI 18 to 12, a two-category reduction. The classification change proceedings were initiated by Balatro‘s European publisher, Sold Out Sales & Marketing, which appealed the rating in a prior complaint. “Although the game explains the various hands of poker, the roguelike deck-building game contained mitigating fantastical elements that warranted a PEGI 12 rating,” reads the decision from the PEGI Complaints Board.
PEGI Is Changing Its Game Classification Criteria After Balatro Complaint
PEGI acknowledged that its initial Balatro rating highlights the need to revamp its system. The organization has hence instructed its experts to come up with a more granular set of classification criteria to better distinguish between games that glorify gambling and those that merely feature gambling-related imagery. “The PEGI system continuously evolves in line with cultural expectations and the guidance of independent experts,” the group said, suggesting that its Balatro-prompted amendment will be in line with its 21-year tradition.
Although [Balatro] explains the various hands of poker, the roguelike deck-building game contained mitigating fantastical elements that warranted a PEGI 12 rating.
Luck Be a Landlord Also Got Its PEGI Rating Downgraded
In addition to Balatro, the latest session of the PEGI Complaints Board resulted in a revised age rating for the relaxing deck-building roguelike Luck Be a Landlord, which was also initially treated to a PEGI 18 rating. This was on account of its slot machine mechanic, as the 2023 game requires players to gamble with their last coin in a desperate attempt to pay rent. While this premise is an on-the-nose critique of capitalism rather than a celebration of slot machines, the gambling imagery earned Luck Be a Landlord an automatic adult-only rating, which has now been downgraded to PEGI 12 following a complaint from publisher Fangamer.
PEGI did not provide a concrete time frame for when it expects its new classification criteria to be completed. Balatro maker LocalThunk called this decision “a good step” toward introducing more nuance to the organization’s classification process and avoiding scenarios wherein developers are “unfairly punished” for their creativity.
Strategy
Digital Card Game
Roguelike
- Released
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February 20, 2024
- ESRB
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E For Everyone
- Developer(s)
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LocalThunk
- Publisher(s)
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Playstack