Frequent readers (and why wouldn't you be?) may recall one of the more peculiar stories from last year regarding Balatro, the roguelike deckbuilder, which was initially classified as PEGI 18 by rating boards. This rating placed it on the same level as content-heavy games like Grand Theft Auto, a decision that left many, including the developer, utterly baffled.

However, it appears that PEGI has acknowledged their mistake and has reclassified Balatro to the more fitting PEGI 12 rating. According to developer Localthunk, who shared the news on Twitter, this change came about partly due to an appeal made by Balatro's publisher to the ratings board.

This isn't the first time Balatro has encountered issues with external organizations. The game was also briefly removed from the Nintendo eShop due to concerns over its perceived gambling content. This is despite the fact that players cannot win real money or place bets, and the game's use of cash is purely an abstract mechanic for purchasing more cards during each run.

As previously mentioned, one of the primary reasons Balatro received such a high rating was due to its depiction of gambling-adjacent imagery. Essentially, the concern was that players might learn about card game concepts like a straight flush or a flush.

This misclassification has also affected the game's availability on mobile platforms, despite the prevalence of in-app purchases across numerous apps. While it's better late than never for this correction, the initial error should not have occurred.

If this news has piqued your interest in trying out Balatro, why not check out our tier list of Jokers? It'll help you determine which of these game-changing cards are worth your while and which ones you might want to skip.