LocalThunk published a new blog post marking two years since Balatro‘s release. The anniversary update offers fans a rare glimpse into the pseudonymous developer’s background while confirming that the game’s 1.1 update remains in active development.
The blog post takes a personal turn. LocalThunk reflects on his career path and college education, explaining how those experiences shaped his approach to game development. The writing has drawn praise from the community for its clarity and depth.
But fans looking for concrete update news came away empty-handed. LocalThunk confirmed 1.1 is still being worked on but offered no release date or specific feature details.
This approach is deliberate. The developer previously explained why he regrets announcing timing expectations and won’t commit to release windows. The philosophy is simple: the update will arrive when it’s ready, not when a calendar demands it.
For a game as finely tuned as Balatro, this makes sense. The poker-themed deckbuilder runs on careful systems balance. Even small changes to Joker cards, scoring mechanics, or run modifiers can ripple through the entire meta. Rushing patches risks breaking what already works.
Players have floated suggestions for smaller interim updates instead of one large drop. The counter-argument: frequent micro-patches can create a balancing nightmare where fixing one issue spawns three more. A single substantial update allows for thorough testing across all systems.
Some players have noted issues with the mobile version’s UI and bugs. Whether 1.1 addresses platform-specific problems remains unclear. PC players have mods to tide them over, but console and mobile audiences are stuck waiting for official support.
Balatro launched as a surprise hit, blending poker hands with roguelike progression in ways that felt fresh despite familiar elements. LocalThunk’s solo development approach means updates move at one person’s pace, not a studio’s.
