Big News for Balatro
Balatro’s meteoric rise in 2024 was nothing short of extraordinary, transforming solo developer LocalThunk’s life and cementing the game as one of the year’s biggest success stories. But despite the acclaim and anticipation, fans will have to wait a little longer for the next big chapter. LocalThunk has confirmed that the long-promised Balatro 1.1 update will not be arriving this year.
LocalThunk explained the reasons for the delay in a candid post on his official site titled “I’m Slow.” He apologized to players but emphasized that he doesn’t want to repeat the grueling crunch that led up to Balatro’s launch, when he worked exhausting 12-hour days. Instead, he’s choosing a slower, more sustainable pace, treating development as a passion rather than an obligation.
“I still love drawing my silly jokers,” he wrote, sharing that he continues to carry a notebook full of ideas he hopes to test and refine. But forcing creativity, he said, would risk undermining the joy he finds in the process. For LocalThunk, Balatro remains a hobby first, and he intends to keep it that way even if it means waiting longer for the update.
He revealed that he only recently earned 100% of the game’s achievements himself, an experience that has reignited his excitement for revisiting Balatro once 1.1 is ready. Though there’s no timeline for release, he reassured fans that the update will happen, just not until it meets his standards.
Balatro’s impact continues to resonate: GameSpot named it one of the best games of 2024, and it collected major accolades, winning at the 2025 DICE Awards, New York Game Awards, The Game Awards 2024, and Game Developers Choice Awards, where it earned Game of the Year.
If you want to find out more about the game, check our review right here.