Undoubtedly, the first months of 2024 were quite peculiar in the video game industry. In a sea of AAA releases, the most popular titles were independent and smaller-scale propositions. Unfortunately, a misunderstanding caused one of the highlighted titles to disappear from some territories.
We are talking about Balatro, an indie title that takes the foundation of poker and elevates it to another level with roguelike elements. After succeeding in the latest Steam Next Fest, it debuted on February 20 with outstanding reception. On the Valve platform, it boasts "extremely positive" reviews, and on Metacritic, it holds a score of 90.
It's not an exaggeration to say that this title from LocalThunk and Playstack is one of the great releases of the year. However, its connection to the poker world played against it, and now it has disappeared from the stores in many European countries.
Balatro removed due to its gambling content
In Balatro, users can "play illegal poker hands, discover game-changing wild cards, and trigger adrenaline-filled combos." Although it's possible to earn chips with each victory, they only serve to obtain upgrades and new cards. In other words, elements of gambling and games of chance are conspicuously absent.
However, the regulatory body Pan European Game Information (PEGI) considered that this project displays "images and material that instructs on gambling." For that reason, the game's rating increased overnight, causing it to disappear from some console stores in European countries. This was confirmed by the publisher Playstack in a statement.
The original rating of +3 was changed to +18 without prior notice, the company states in a social media message. To provide context, the ESRB gave it a rating for ages 10 and up, although it emphasizes the inclusion of "gambling themes."
"Balatro neither allows nor encourages gambling, and we fundamentally believe that the decision on the ratings is unfounded. It was developed by someone firmly against gambling, and great care was taken to ensure it does not include any gambling mechanics," reads the statement.
It is unclear exactly which stores and territories removed this title, but we know it is not available on the Nintendo eShop in the UK and Germany. Playstack is working to address the issue and is confident that the project will return for sale, even with a temporary +18 rating.
It is worth noting that players who have purchased a copy can still play and download it, even if they reside in one of the countries where the game disappeared from digital console stores.
The publisher behind Balatro expressed disappointment with this situation, stating that they did, in fact, have a conversation with the regulatory body on this matter in October 2023, months before the official release. At that time, they appealed the +18 rating and succeeded in having it changed to +3.
But tell us, what do you think of this situation? Share your thoughts in the comments.
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