Balatro creator speaks out as PEGI doubles down on its 18+ rating, "blaming EU laws" for the roguelike's adults-only categorization: "This sucks"

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Well, at least we tried

Balatro cards featuring The Witcher 3 characters
(Image credit: LocalThunk / CD Projekt Red)

LocalThunk, developer of card-based roguelike Balatro, has challenged PEGI on the game's 18+ rating after the regulatory body cited it for "gambling." Unfortunately, their pleas fell on deaf ears, and Balatro's rating will not be lowered.

"Talked with PEGI and they do not see anything wrong [with] Balatro being rated 18+, nor with EA Sports FC (and similar games) having a 3+ rating," LocalThunk shares on Twitter. Balatro is a card game that features no active gambling premise, lootbox, or other microtransactional content, but PEGI is "blaming EU laws" and "storefronts" as the key, binding reason for its decision. "[They're] sitting on their hands. I thought some good might come of this, this sucks."

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Jasmine Gould-Wilson
Jasmine Gould-Wilson
Senior Staff Writer, GamesRadar+

Jasmine is a Senior Staff Writer at GamesRadar+. Raised in Hong Kong and having graduated with an English Literature degree from Queen Mary, University of London, she began her journalism career as a freelancer with TheGamer and TechRadar Gaming before joining GR+ full-time in 2023. She now focuses predominantly on features content for GamesRadar+, attending game previews, and key international conferences such as Gamescom and Digital Dragons in between regular interviews, opinion pieces, and the occasional stint with the news or guides teams. In her spare time, you'll likely find Jasmine challenging her friends to a Resident Evil 2 speedrun, purchasing another book she's unlikely to read, or complaining about the weather.