Balatro, one of the most popular video games of the moment, has been removed from sale on Nintendo Switch. Its publisher mentioned a certification problem, linked to a misunderstanding.
Perhaps one of your friends told you about Balatro, a card game that revisits poker with addictive mechanics. He has impressed you so much that you decide to take the plunge. Hop, head to the Nintendo Switch eShop and there’s a cold shower: Balatro is not found on the console, yet particularly suited to its gameplay.
In a tweet broadcast on March 1, 2024the Playstack publisher indicates that Balatro is actually unavailable on certain consoles, in certain countries. In France, you can always find Balatro on the PlayStation Store, Xbox Marketplace and Steam. On the other hand, when we carry out a search on the eShop, we receive the following message: “ Sorry, no matching articles were found. Please modify your search and try again. »
Balatro has become an 18+ game
Huge success
Balatro is a huge success: in 3 days, it sold more than 250,000 copies. It has been available since February 20.
Playstack specifies in its long press release that those who have acquired Balatro before its removal from the eShop can play it without problem. The others will have to wait until a solution is found. Balatro is in reality the victim of a sudden change in classification: it went from 3+ to 18+, which must have activated a protection mechanism on Nintendo’s side. “ Prominent gambling images », now displays the page of Balatro on the PlayStation Store, which explains this move to 18+.
For Playstack, this “18+” badge is in no way justified. Yes, Balatro draws on the world of poker to nourish its artistic direction, its concept, its vocabulary and its gameplay. But, in no case does it encourage you to bet money (even virtual money). “ Balatro was developed by someone who is against gambling, and has rigorously ensured that the game contains no gambling mechanics. » According to the publisher, there is therefore a misunderstanding of what actually is Balatro.
Playstack is angry with the classification bodies, which changed the certification without warning. Above all, the publisher had already fought to obtain a “3+” after Balatro initially received an “18+”. In October, after verification, the organizations in question assured PlayStack that the game posed no problems. “ Game content hasn’t changed since we upgraded to ‘3+’ », defends the company.
The “18+” certification is not good for the image of Balatro and could slow down some people interested in the game. Playstack does not intend to stop there: in addition to the return to the eShop, it intends to make this “18+” disappear.
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