Balatro's 1.1 update delayed, dev says "it's done when it's done"

Balatro was one of last year's biggest surprises. Though it looks like a digital take on a familiar style of card play, creator 'Localthunk' only used poker as a jumping-off point for a roguelike centered on building combo-enhancing decks capable of racking up enormous scores. Though the base game is already a fantastic experience on its own, Localthunk has announced plans to put out a substantial update that adds even more to it. While that update, 1.1, was set to launch sometime before the end of this year, we've now learned that it's been pushed back indefinitely.

The reason for Balatro 1.1's delay is pretty simple: Localthunk needs more time than he thought he would to get the roguelike's new update ready. In a Bluesky post, he writes that 1.1 "will not be coming out in 2025," though says, "it's still coming out for sure, and I'm sorry."

"The new timeline," he explains, "is 'it's done when it's done.'"

Localthunk shares more information in a blog post titled "I'm Slow." In it, he apologizes again for the delay and states that he "probably shouldn't have announced any date for the 1.1 update at all."

"I'm a hobbyist developer at heart and I love to tinker," he writes, going on to describe that the intense work of making and supporting the game left him "well and truly burned out" by the end of last year. In an effort to move forward in a healthier manner, Localthunk "chose to only work on the game like I did when the project began, as a hobbyist … and it turns out that it's a lot slower than working in crunch mode 12 hours per day like I was around launch."

Rather than rush to meet 1.1's original 2025 launch date, Localthunk writes that he's had to set the new, more nebulous time mentioned above of "it's done when it's done." He also reiterates that "it will be a free update for everyone on all platforms when it's ready."

If you're looking for something to play while waiting for Balatro 1.1, we've got you covered through our picks for the best card games and best indie games already out right now.

You can also talk Balatro and more roguelikes with other players and staff by heading on over to our community Discord server to chat with us.