Balatro solo dev Localthunk "is really rich now," says Final Fantasy 16 star while dressed as a clown: "He has shoes made of gold and he thanks you for making him that way"

Poker roguelite Balatro swept the BAFTA games awards last night, and Final Fantasy 16's very own Clive, Ben Starr, gave an incredibly strange speech when picking up its best Debut Game win.

"This is weird. This is weird, isn't it," says Starr as he takes to the podium, dressed in full clown makeup. Yeah, Ben, this is pretty weird. "Yes, it's me, that weird live-action Jimbo from the Balatro commercial."

In case you missed it, Starr plays a live-action Jimbo in the Balatro adverts, and he absolutely went to town on a banana in one outtake. "This might be a rather confusing, and at first glance, arousing moment," he says. "But don't worry, it's perfectly natural. Don't fight the feeling, Jokers have full sex now." A horrifying thought.

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Now, Balatro was made by a man who goes by the name of LocalThunk, not Ben Starr, something the actor addresses in his speech. "So what if my only contribution to Balatro was that trailer and sucking on a banana for a few seconds," he asks? "I ask you this: Isn't selling stuff nice? What is art in 2025 but a thinly veiled vessel of ruthless commercial self-interest through which rich people try to make even more money?"

By now, we've all seen how successful Balatro is, selling over five million copies, and Starr confirms that LocalThunk made a pretty penny from it. "I can say having met him personally, LocalThunk is really rich now," Starr says. "He has shoes made of gold and he thanks you for making him that way. He says here at the bottom, he wishes he could thank more people, but if he's being honest, it was just him who made it. Everyone else is a freeloader, 'especially you, PlayStack.'"

PlayStack is the publisher of the hit game which is on PC, mobile, and consoles, so it probably did help LocalThunk out quite a bit. Everyone took the joke well and the audience laughed. PlayStack also says more publishers need to fund indie devs in a manner that "isn't based on making a ridiculous amount of money back."

Starr finishes with a lovely nod to other indie games, saying "Play more independent games like Animal Well. They are the lifeblood of this industry and they deserve your respect."

If you're one of the few people who hasn't played Balatro yet, you can get it on Steam for 10% off. Just don't get it on mobile or you'll be tempted to play it during work meetings.

Check out all the upcoming indie games for 2025 and beyond so you know which ones to wishlist.