The PEGI rating system is once again in the news with a decision that raises many questions in the video game industry. Balatro, the roguelike inspired by poker which is a hit on all platforms with more than 3.5 million sales, strangely finds itself classified PEGI 18 while certain games which are real open-air casinos do not undergo any particular classification.
A controversial decision that makes people cringe
PEGI justifies its classification by explaining that Balatro “teaches skills and knowledge used in poker” that “could be transferred to a real poker game”. A justification that appears particularly clumsy when we know that the game does not include any real betting system or microtransactions. Even more surprising, developer LocalThunk has even clarified in its fundamentals that the game can never be sold or licensed to a gambling company.
LocalThunk did not fail to react with irony on social networks:
Since PEGI gave us an 18+ rating for having evil playing cards maybe I should add microtransactions/loot boxes/real gambling to lower that rating to 3+ like EA sports FC
— localthunk (@LocalThunk) December 15, 2024
A harsh criticism which points out the inconsistencies of the PEGI system which continues to provoke reactions from all the players in the sector.
A completely unfair double standard
This situation highlights the blatant contradictions of the system PEGI. Other games using poker mechanics like Texas Hold’em on DS (PEGI 12) or Hard West II (PEGI 16) benefit from more lenient classifications. Even more problematic, games like EA Sports FC receive a PEGI 3+ despite the presence of loot boxes and random monetization systems that are more akin to gambling mechanics. Indeed, in the PEGI classification, micro-transactions are compatible with all age categories unlike gambling games which are automatically classified PEGI 18. The question that arises is therefore whether Balatro is a gambling game. money – or if it promotes them – when it is simply a roge-like that takes poker as its theme, without respecting either the rules or the principles. On the other hand, EA Sports FC, which uses micro-transactions, competitive randomness, FOMO and frustration for players, is not considered a fake casino. More proof that in general, big developers and publishers are less worried about the PEGI classification than others, and that’s a big problem.
The developer also spoke with PEGI to discuss this classification, but the organization “sees nothing wrong” in this situation, hiding behind European laws. This position questions the relevance of the criteria used by PEGI and could have consequences on the accessibility of certain independent games.
The official Balatro classification with explanations (automatically translated into French)For iOS users, this classification fortunately has no impact on the App Store where the game remains available normally – even if restrictions may arise for child accounts. The commercial success of Balatro does not seem to be affected, with sales continuing to grow and very positive evaluations on all platforms. Moreover, Balatro was briefly removed from the Nintendo eShop in February for the same reasons. Nevertheless, this controversy raises important questions about the necessary modernization of the PEGI system, which sometimes seems disconnected from current video game realities.
This is an unfair and scandalous decision which has continued to resurface debates on PEGI’s absurd judging criteria. What do you think?
