• Balatro secures PEGI 12 rating after successful appeal to the ratings board
• New rating aligns it with less mature content classifications
• PEGI 18 label would have equated its content to Grand Theft Auto

Regular readers may remember last year’s surprising news that Balatro, the roguelike deckbuilder, was slapped with a PEGI 18 rating. This placed it on par with mature titles like GTA, leaving fans and the developer stunned.

Thankfully, PEGI has reconsidered and reclassified Balatro as PEGI 12, a rating that feels far more fitting. Developer Localthunk shared the update on Twitter, crediting the publisher’s appeal to the ratings board for this change.

This isn’t Balatro’s first brush with controversy. The game was temporarily removed from the Nintendo eShop over concerns about gambling-like content, despite no real-money wagering or betting being involved. In-game currency is solely used to buy cards during runs.

The house holds the cards

The original PEGI 18 rating stemmed from gambling-related imagery, with concerns that players might learn terms like “straight flush” or “flush.” This led to Balatro being judged as harshly as GTA’s violent themes.

The rating also impacted mobile platforms, where in-app purchases are commonplace, making the initial classification even more puzzling. While the correction is welcome, it’s a shame it was necessary at all.

If this news has piqued your interest in Balatro, check out our Joker tier list to discover which game-altering cards are worth your time.