After resounding success, the Balatro developer burned out from supporting the game in crunch mode and has now returned to a "development as a hobby" format.
Balatro fans will have to be patient. The developer of the card roguelike, LocalThunk, has announced that update 1.1 will not be released in 2025.
"I know I promised it would be out, but it's become clear that it won't happen before the end of the year, and I wanted to let you know now. I'm ashamed that I didn't keep my promise, and I apologize."
The developer clarified that he is postponing the release indefinitely. The patch is still in development and will remain free for all players, but there is no specific date to expect: "it will be released when it's ready."
LocalThunk reminded that he remains a solo developer and still considers Balatro his hobby, not a job. After its release in February 2024, he worked almost non-stop on a balance patch and a mobile version, which ultimately led to burnout. In early 2025, he decided to return to a calmer pace — a few hours a day, without crunch. This approach turned out to be "slower" but allows him to maintain interest in the project and work without harming his health.
According to him, he is still inspired by Balatro and has no intention of abandoning the project. He has plenty of ideas, and the patch will definitely be released — just later. And the support will not end there: the game will continue to evolve, but now at a comfortable pace.
