Indie Card Sensation Balatro Delisted from Australian E-Shop

UPDATE: BALATRO HAS BEEN RELISTED ON THE ESHOP WITH A NEW RATING SO YOU CAN ENJOY THIS FANTASTIC GAME

Balatro has seen a wave of incredibly positive press and coverage since its release last week, scoring a 92/100 here at What’s it Like due to its incredibly fun gameplay and refined rogue-like loop. For those who didn’t pick it up right away, you might now have to wait as Balatro has been delisted from multiple storefronts, including our Aussie E-shop. While these drastic measures are usually the result of legal battles or controversy, this incident has caught everyone off guard with the rating board suddenly backflipping on the 3+ rating it was initially awarded and shockingly upped to 18+ due to a mistaken belief that the game “contains prominent gambling imagery and material that instructs about gambling.”

While the game may have its roots firmly planted in Poker, there are no wagers or betting mechanics at all, the player simply has to outscore the blind set by the Ante level, and money awarded only goes toward purchasing new cards and upgrades.

Publisher Playstack has been quick to respond (you can see the full message below) with an eloquently written statement, also stating that this issue was initially resolved last October.

What are your thoughts on all this? Do you think it’s fair to change ratings after approval? Or do you agree that it does need a higher age rating?