Breakout hit Balatro– a poker-themed roguelike deck builder – has encountered some review issues that have resulted in the game being suddenly removed from the Nintendo eShop in many European countries. This removal surprised both the developer and the publisher, who now have to work to put the game back on sale in the store.
Released last month on Xbox, PlayStation, Switch and PC. Balatro is a wonderful deck builder that is difficult to put down. It uses poker mechanics and hands as the basis for a strange but entertaining roguelike about scoring massive combos using power-ups and special cards. Players earn chips as they win hands and progress. However, these chips are only used as currency to purchase upgrades and new cards. You don’t play with them at all. However, the card game theme, as well as references to big and small blinds (part of the betting process in poker), seemingly caused a change in ratings overnight Balatro
On the 1st of March, the publisher behind Balatro – Playstack – confirmed via Twitter that the popular card game has been removed from some consoles in “some countries”. In an email to My cityPlayStack clarified that the game appears to have been removed from the Nintendo Switch eShop in most of Europe. My city‘S Our own research seems to confirm this as the game is not available Germany or the British eShopsbut is still active (at least for now) in the USA. Other console stores appear to be unaffected, but the PEGI rating has changed Balatro on PSN and Xbox, from 3+ to 18+. For this reason, according to Playstack, the game was suddenly removed from some stores.
“This is not a problem of the stores themselves,” he explained Balatro in his March 1 statement on Twitter. “Although a reaction to an overnight change Balatross Age rating from 3+ to 18+ by a rating agency without warning based on the erroneous belief that the game “contains conspicuous gambling images and material providing information about gambling.”
“Balatro does not permit or promote gambling – and we fundamentally believe that the rating decision is unfounded. Balatro was developed by someone who is strictly anti-gambling and care has been taken to ensure that the game does not contain any gambling mechanics,” explained PlayStack.
The publisher also added that he was “disappointed” with the PEGI ratings board, as he claims he spoke to them specifically about this issue in October, months before the game’s release, and was told that the rating body had the “Verified” review [Balatro] and determined that the disclosure of gambling themes was unwarranted.” Playstack says nothing has changed about the game since the original review was approved.
Playstack has confirmed that anyone who has already purchased the game will still be able to play it, even if it has been removed from your region’s eShop.
“Rest assured that we are working as hard as we can to get the game back on sale as quickly as possible,” PlayStack said.
A similar situation occurred in May 2023 when a card-based indie game made jokes about gambling and delayed its release on the eShop.
More positive news: Balatro is now available on Mac after the last update of the game. And hopefully Switch users will soon be able to collect spooky jokers again and score big combos in one of them The best games of 2024.
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