Shortly after celebrating the success of Balatro at The Game Awards 2024, the game's creator, LocalThunk, is calling out PEGI for switching the game's rating to 18+ earlier in the year - the highest age rating that PEGI can give, and by far the highest rating Balatro has received from any ratings board. A rating of 18+ classifies Balatro as a game that's available for adults only and restricts minors from legally purchasing the game in the UK, though there are obviously ways around those restrictions.
In a post from @LocalThunk on X, the creator of Balatro has called out PEGI for the hypocrisy of Balatro's 18+ rating, saying "maybe I should add microtransactions/loot boxes/real gambling to lower that rating to 3+ like EA sports FC," specifically referring to EA Sports FC 25's 3+ PEGI rating. Notably, FC 25, despite being a full-price game, also includes a heavy focus on in-game microtransactions, encouraging players to spend additional money on a premium currency, FC Points, which can be used for in-game purchases, including random card packs.
The PEGI website justifies Balatro's 18 rating by saying that the game's use of real poker hands teaches skills that "could...
