Balatro Updates: New Achievements, Awards, and Content Revealed

Balatro is a deck-building game where players aim to conquer increasingly challenging blinds using a mix of standard and unique cards. Discover the latest updates and insights about the game below!

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Balatro Updates

2025

June 22

　⚫︎　Balatro’s creator, Localthunk, announced he completed his own game, earning the prestigious Completionist++ milestone. In a social media update, he called it a fun nightly ritual, often playing “a few rounds before bed.”

Localthunk said achieving full completion has equipped him to craft the upcoming 1.1 update, expressing excitement to tackle it again with fresh content upon release.

Read more: 100% completion of Balatro prepares developer for major update design (Eurogamer)

June 9

　⚫︎　The official Balatro X page revealed that Balatro secured the Delightful & Fun Games award at WWDC 2025.

Read more: Balatro Honored with Award at WWDC 2025 (Official Balatro X Page)

May 28

　⚫︎　Only 0.1% of Balatro players have unlocked the elusive Platinum trophy in the indie card roguelike, and PlayStation architect Mark Cerny is now among them.

Cerny, a key figure behind multiple PlayStation consoles, including the forthcoming PS5 Pro, shared on social media that it took seven months and countless hours to achieve. He lauded developer @LocalThunk for the game’s exceptionally deep mechanics.

Read more: Mark Cerny joins 0.1% of players with Balatro’s Platinum trophy (Eurogamer)

April 15

　⚫︎　Surprisingly, one of Balatro’s top players isn’t a streamer or esports star but Wout van Halderen, Playstack’s communications director.

At GDC, van Halderen shared that he conquered gold stakes at every level and triumphed in the grueling Jokerless challenge, completing a full run without jokers. That’s an impressive feat.

Read more: Playstack’s van Halderen stuns LocalThunk by mastering gold stakes and Jokerless challenge (PC Gamer)

April 6

　⚫︎　Balatro developer LocalThunk voiced frustration over YouTube’s decision to age-restrict videos of the poker-inspired roguelike, despite its PEGI 12+ reclassification. YouTube flagged the content due to its loose connection to gambling mechanics, irking creators and the developer.

On Bluesky, LocalThunk quipped, “Great job shielding kids from four-of-a-kind while allowing CS case opening videos.”

Read more: Balatro Developer Slams YouTube’s Age Restrictions on Game Videos (Game Rant)

March 26

　⚫︎　The pronunciation of Balatro is officially BAH-la-tro, as confirmed by Playstack’s video marketing head, Naman Budhwar, in Stephen Totilo’s Game File newsletter. Budhwar noted this matches developer LocalThunk’s pronunciation.

Read more: Balatro’s pronunciation officially clarified as BAH-la-tro (VGC)

March 20

　⚫︎　Despite Balatro’s global success and millions of copies sold, LocalThunk remains focused on development over fame. His low-profile approach reflects a desire to prioritize game creation without external distractions.

Read more: Balatro’s LocalThunk focuses on game development, not fame (PC Gamer)

March 13

　⚫︎　After a heated Balatro subreddit debate on AI-generated art, LocalThunk firmly opposed its use, stating it harms artists across disciplines and banning it from the subreddit.

The controversy arose when former moderator DrTankHead allowed labeled AI art, a decision made with Playstack. Community backlash led LocalThunk to reaffirm his support for human artists.

Read more: LocalThunk bans AI art on Balatro subreddit, citing harm to artists (PC Gamer)

March 10

　⚫︎　LocalThunk revealed he didn’t fully grasp Balatro’s appeal until a week before launch. In a blog post reflecting on development, he described the intense pre-launch period filled with publisher coordination and community feedback.

Playing the game himself just before release led to an emotional moment when he realized Balatro was genuinely fun.

Read more: Balatro creator realized game’s fun factor a week before launch (PC Gamer)

March 7

　⚫︎　LocalThunk shared that he avoided playing other roguelikes for over two years to ensure Balatro’s originality. In a blog post, the former Canadian IT worker explained he stopped playing roguelikes in December 2021 to reinvent the wheel.

Read more: Balatro developer avoided roguelikes to craft unique poker game (Eurogamer)

February 27

　⚫︎　LocalThunk revealed that Klondike solitaire was a core influence on Balatro’s design. In his blog’s first post, he noted solitaire would be central on a Balatro vision board, aiming to blend its nostalgic charm with modern gameplay elements.

Read more: Solitaire’s influence shaped Balatro’s unique poker roguelike design (GameRant)

February 24

　⚫︎　Balatro’s PEGI rating was lowered from 18 to 12 after a successful appeal by Sold Out Sales & Marketing, overturning criticism over its poker mechanics, as confirmed by PEGI’s website.

Read more: Balatro reclassified as PEGI 12 after appeal victory (Eurogamer)

　⚫︎　Playstack and LocalThunk launched a free Balatro update, Friends of Jimbo (Pack 4), featuring crossovers with Assassin’s Creed, Bugsnax, Critical Role, Dead by Daylight, Fallout (Vault-Tec), Rust, Sid Meier’s Civilization VII, and Slay the Princess. The game is now on Xbox Game Pass.

Read more: Balatro’s ‘Friends of Jimbo [Pack 4]’ update released (Gematsu)

January 4

　⚫︎　LocalThunk celebrated indie games by awarding the “Golden Thunk Game of the Year 2024” to Animal Well, praising its immersive design and developer Billy Basso’s mastery. Basso reciprocated, naming LocalThunk the “Nicest Most Humble Dev of the Year.”

Read more: Balatro creator honors Animal Well with Golden Thunk award (PC Gamer)

2024

December 16

　⚫︎　LocalThunk criticized PEGI’s 18+ rating for Balatro due to its poker mechanics. In an X post, he jokingly suggested adding microtransactions or loot boxes to lower the rating, comparing it to EA Sports FC’s 3+ rating.

PEGI argued the game teaches poker skills through gameplay and visuals, implying a gambling connection.

Read more: Balatro dev criticizes PEGI’s 18+ rating, suggests adding microtransactions (PC Gamer)

November 19

　⚫︎　Balatro earned five nominations at The Game Awards, including Best Game Direction, Best Independent Game, Best Debut Indie Game, Best Mobile Game, and Game of the Year.

Read more: Balatro’s creator celebrates five Game Awards nominations, praises other devs (PC Gamer)

September 27

　⚫︎　Balatro, developed by LocalThunk and PlayStack, is now available on Google Play, the App Store, and Apple Arcade. A major gameplay update, set for 2025, will introduce new strategies and be free for the game’s community.

Read more: Balatro now on Google Play, App Store, and Apple Arcade (Game8)

August 27

　⚫︎　Balatro’s free Friends of Jimbo update features collaborations with The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Vampire Survivors, Dave the Diver, and Among Us, adding new cards, original artwork, jokers, illegal poker hands, and expanded combos for all players.

Read more: Balatro’s Friends of Jimbo DLC includes Witcher 3, Vampire Survivors, and more (Game8)