Balatro Shatters Records with 5 Million Copies Sold After Year-End Surge
Following a “pretty wild last few weeks,” LocalThunk announced that Balatro has achieved 5 million copies sold.
Since its launch last February on PC, PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One and Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch, the roguelike deckbuilder has transitioned into a rapidly rising phenomenon. By mid-December, it had sold 3.5 million copies after its release on mobile that autumn, and garnered end-of-year nominations and awards from various platforms and organizations.
Balatro‘s Game Awards recognition
LocalThunk has notably attributed interest from the game’s nominations across several categories at the 2024 Game Awards, expressing their hope that players have “an amazing experience with it!” The game secured the titles of Best Indie, Best Mobile, and Best Debut Indie at the event.
In the time since its release, LocalThunk has also revealed insights into the development process of the game, as well as what it originally appeared to be in an earlier version.
Balatro’s prosperity hasn’t come without challenges. Weeks after its release, it was removed from several countries after being misclassified by the European rating board, PEGI. The board had mistakenly thought the game promoted gambling, something that LocalThunk and publisher PlayStack asserted they had consistently communicated was inaccurate. The creator has also explicitly stated they will never allow the game to be licensed as a gambling title, now or even posthumously.
As of last month, PEGI rated the game 18+ (or “adults only”), a decision LocalThunk could only perceive as “humorous.” They remarked, “Since PEGI assigned us an 18+ rating due to violent play cards, perhaps I should consider adding microtransactions/loot boxes/actual gambling options to adjust that rating to something like EA Sports FC.”
Despite this, LocalThunk expresses gratitude to everyone who has invested time in Balatro, encouraging players to “try to make [playing indie games] a regular thing! There’s some fantastic content out there!”
About the Author
Contributing Editor, GameDeveloper.com
A Kansas City, MO native, Justin Carter has contributed to various websites including IGN, Polygon, and SyFy Wire. In addition to Game Developer, his writing can also be found at io9 on Gizmodo. Don’t ask him how much gum he’s consumed, as the answer will likely exceed what he’s prepared to acknowledge.