Balatro, the award-winning poker-inspired roguelike deckbuilder, has gotten a surprise release on Xbox Game Pass. The game is out now on Microsoft’s game subscription service, available at no additional cost to Game Pass subscribers across supported platforms. Additionally, Balatro is also getting a new free DLC that brings more collaborations with other games like Fallout, Assassin’s Creed, Bugsnax, and more.
Balatro Now on Game Pass
The surprise announcement came as part of Microsoft’s ID@Xbox indie games showcase. Balatro has been added to the Game Pass library and is playable now to all subscribers. The announcement trailer also confirmed Friends of Jimbo Pack 4 DLC with new deck customisation options from franchises like Fallout, Assassin’s Creed, Bugsnax, Civilization 7, Rust, Dead by Daylight, Slay the Princess and more.
Developer LocalThunk also announced that Balatro had been reclassified by ratings agency PEGI from 18+ to 12+ following an appeal from publisher Playstack. “This is a good step from PEGI – bringing nuance to their ratings criteria that used to be 18+ or nothing. I hope this change will allow developers to create without being unfairly punished,” LocalThunk said in a post on X Monday. The developer had previously bemoaned Balatro’s 18+ rating.
After an appeal from my publisher, Balatro has been reclassified by PEGI from 18+ to 12+
This is a good step from PEGI – bringing nuance to their ratings criteria that used to be 18+ or nothing. I hope this change will allow developers to create without being unfairly punished
— localthunk (@LocalThunk) February 24, 2025
Balatro’s addition to Game Pass comes just over a year after it was released on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X and Nintendo Switch on February 20, 2024. The deckbuilder was later made available on macOS, Android and iOS. Balatro was also added to Apple Arcade subscription service in September 2024.
The roguelike deckbuilder became the breakout hit of 2024, selling over five million units as of January 2025. It also won big at The Game Awards 2024, taking home trophies in the Best Independent Game, Best Debut Indie Game and Best Mobile Game categories. Since its release, the game has released several free DLCs featuring collaborations with popular games like Cyberpunk 2077, The Witcher 3, Dave the Diver, and more.
