Frequent readers (and why wouldn't you be?) may recall one of the more oddball stories last year about Balatro, the roguelike deckbuilder, which was initially classified as PEGI 18 by rating boards. This placed it in the same category as games like Grand Theft Auto, which naturally baffled many, including the developer.

However, it seems that PEGI has recognized their mistake and has now reclassified Balatro to the more fitting PEGI 12 rating. According to developer Localthunk, who shared the news on Twitter, this reclassification came after an appeal by Balatro's publisher to the board.

This isn't the first time Balatro has faced challenges from external organizations. It was also briefly removed from the Nintendo eShop due to concerns over perceived gambling content. This is despite the fact that players cannot win real money or place bets, and the use of cash in the game is merely an abstract way to purchase more cards during each run.

The house always wins
One of the key reasons for Balatro's initial PEGI 18 rating was its depiction of gambling-adjacent imagery. Essentially, the concern was that players might learn about concepts like a straight flush or a flush.

This misclassification was particularly frustrating because it extended to platforms like mobile, despite the prevalence of in-app purchases across many apps. While a late correction is better than none, it's clear that the initial rating was unwarranted.

If this news has piqued your interest in trying out Balatro, why not check out our tier list of Jokers to see which game-changing cards are worth your attention and which ones aren't?