Balatro
LocalThunk · 2024 · Roguelike deckbuilder
Did the studio keep supporting this game after launch? This page is the evidence.A beloved one-dev deckbuilder kept in loving maintenance with ports and free crossovers while its big update waits on an honest, burned-out human.
01Score breakdown
Five categories, 20 points each, 100 total. Full method on the methodology page.
02The evidence
Balatro launched Feb 20, 2024 to universal acclaim but hit a stumble when PEGI re-rated it 18+, briefly delisting it in some territories; Playstack appealed and it was reclassified 12+ in Feb 2025. LocalThunk shipped rapid launch hotfixes, the 1.0.1 balance patch, four free Friends of Jimbo crossover packs, mobile ports (Sept 2024), and later Switch 2 and Epic Games Store releases. The promised 1.1 gameplay update slipped from 2025 to 'done when it's done' after burnout, a delay he disclosed proactively and honestly; it remains in active development as of Sept 2026.
- Launch-week hotfixes shipped within days, and the 1.0.1 balance patch was tested publicly via an experimental beta before release.
- PEGI 18+ delisting was appealed and overturned (12+ in Feb 2025); Blue Stake rework and a legacy Steam branch for modders show complaints turn into action.
- The 'I'm Slow' post proactively admitted the missed 2025 window and explained burnout instead of going silent.
- Four free Friends of Jimbo crossover packs, mobile ports, Xbox Game Pass, Switch 2, and EGS releases all shipped; the one miss is the delayed 1.1, disclosed openly.
03Sources
04Audit record
- Launch date
- Feb 20, 2024
- Evidence coverage through
- Oct 6, 2026
- Methodology
- v1.0
- Audit confidence
- Medium
- Why this confidence
- Strong public record of the timeline, delay, and crossovers, but the big 1.1 update is still unreleased and per-patch regression checks were not performed.
- Score band
- Promising (Tier C)