The creator of Balatro has clarified why his breakout poker game doesn’t include any microtransactions or ads: he finds titles with those features so frustrating that it "makes me want to load my computer into the dishwasher and run the pots and pans cycle."

"The real reason I haven't added microtransactions, season passes, ads, or dozens of DLCs to Balatro isn’t just about ethics—it's that when I play other games packed with that stuff, it makes me want to shove my PC in the dishwasher and turn it on for heavy cleaning," Localthunk shared on Bluesky.

"I understand why developers include them, but you’re undermining the user experience when players get their first taste of a game while being flooded with distractions that aren’t actually part of the core gameplay."

When asked if he was “subskeeting” the free-to-download digital card game Marvel Snap, Localthunk responded: "This isn’t specifically about them, but I’m not letting them off easy, either. There’s about a 95% chance that if a game is free-to-play, its main menu interface ends up being more convoluted than the actual gameplay."

Microtransactions continue to be a heated issue in the gaming world, with some developers and publishers accused of exploiting players through aggressive in-game shops. Consumer authorities in places like Norway have labeled loot boxes exploitative and predatory, leading to bans in countries such as Belgium and the Netherlands. Even some U.S. senators have called to restrict "predatory" in-app purchases following FTC investigations.

Just last week, Activision faced criticism after discreetly inserting ads into Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Warzone's loadout screens. The company later pulled the ads, calling the move an “accidental” test of a feature.

Localthunk also recently felt the need to speak out against AI-generated artwork after a subreddit moderator incorrectly claimed that neither the developer nor publisher Playstack had a problem with AI art. Localthunk stated publicly: "Neither Playstack nor I support so-called AI 'art.' I haven’t used it in my game, and I believe it causes genuine harm to artists everywhere. The mod in question doesn’t represent the views of Playstack or myself, and we have since removed them from the moderation team."

Balatro is the hit deck-building game where you create unconventional poker hands, unlock game-altering jokers, and unleash thrilling, over-the-top combos. IGN’s Balatro review scored it a 9/10, saying: "This deck-building poker roguelike offers endlessly satisfying gameplay—the kind of fun that can completely upend your weekend plans."