Balatro Creator Opposes AI Use in Art

LocalThunk, the developer behind the popular poker-inspired roguelike game Balatro, has made his position clear on artificial intelligence. He recently stated that he doesn't support AI because it "does real harm to artists of all kinds." This stance emerged after a misunderstanding on the game's subreddit, where a moderator incorrectly claimed that Balatro's publisher, Playstack, had no issues with AI-generated content.

After noticing this misrepresentation, LocalThunk quickly addressed the situation on Twitter, explaining that the moderator's statement "doesn't represent my beliefs." He later took to Reddit to further clarify his position, banning the moderator who had made those claims and establishing that AI-generated content would not be allowed on Balatro's subreddit moving forward.

"Neither Playstack nor I condone AI 'art'," LocalThunk stated firmly, ending any confusion about where he and the publisher stand on this increasingly contentious issue in the gaming industry.

The debate about AI use has become particularly heated amid the ongoing SAG-AFTRA actors' strike. According to reports, a recent proposal failed to satisfy the union due to "alarming loopholes" that could potentially harm artists' work while leaving them vulnerable to AI exploitation.

Balatro itself represents the opposite of AI-generated content. The game is a passion project that LocalThunk developed entirely by hand over more than four years. What started as something meant just for family and friends unexpectedly became a massive success story in the gaming world.

And what a success it has been. As of January 2025, Balatro has sold over 5 million units across all platforms. This impressive figure doesn't even include downloads from Apple Arcade, where the game is also available.

Within just 72 hours of its February 20, 2024 release, Balatro sold 250,000 copies. It reached half a million sales in ten days and hit the 1 million mark within a month. By December 12, 2024, sales had climbed to 3.5 million units.

A significant boost came after The Game Awards 2024, where Balatro was nominated for five categories and won three: Best Mobile Game, Best Independent Game, and Best Debut Indie Game. This visibility helped the game sell an additional 1.5 million units following the event.

On mobile platforms alone, Balatro has generated nearly $4.4 million in revenue since its September 26, 2024 release. It earned $1 million in its first week and saw a $727,000 surge following its Game Awards nominations in November.

As the gaming industry continues to grapple with questions about AI's role in creative processes, Balatro stands as an example of what dedicated human craftsmanship can achieve.