Balatro Avoids Microtransactions and Ads, Creator Jokes About Dishwasher Frustration

The developer of Balatro, Localthunk, recently shared a blunt and humorous explanation for why his wildly popular poker-based roguelike doesn't include microtransactions or ads. In a post on Bluesky, he stated that seeing such monetization tactics in games "makes me want to put my computer in the dishwasher and set it to pots and pans."

He elaborated further, saying, “The honest reason I don’t have microtransactions/season pass/ads/100 DLCs/etc in Balatro isn’t just about the ethics of those practices, but because when I play other games that have those things, it makes me want to put my computer in the dishwasher and set it to pots and pans.”

His point? These elements can severely damage the user experience. He continued by explaining that while he understands the business rationale behind them, bombarding players with monetization gimmicks—especially during their first impression—takes away from what really matters: the game itself.

When asked if he was subtly criticizing the free-to-play digital card game *Marvel Snap*, Localthunk replied: “This isn't about them, but I'm not letting them off the hook either lol. There's, like, a 95% chance that if the game is [free-to-play], then the main menu UI is more complicated than the actual game UI.”

Microtransactions continue to be a divisive topic within the gaming community. Many developers and publishers have faced accusations of exploiting players through predatory monetization models. In fact, government bodies such as Norway’s consumer council have labeled loot boxes as exploitative, and they are outright banned in countries like Belgium and the Netherlands. Even in the U.S., some senators have pushed for regulation on so-called "greedy" in-app purchases following investigations by the FTC.

Just last week, Activision found itself in hot water after quietly inserting advertisements into loadout menus in *Call of Duty: Black Ops 6* and *Warzone*. The company later removed the ads, claiming the move was an accidental “feature test” that shouldn’t have been live.

In another recent incident, Localthunk had to publicly denounce AI-generated art after a Reddit moderator wrongly claimed that neither the developer nor publisher Playstack had any objections to its use. Localthunk quickly clarified: “Neither Playstack nor I condone AI 'art'. I don't use it in my game, I think it does real harm to artists of all kinds. The actions of this mod do not reflect how Playstack feels or how I feel on the topic. We have removed this moderator from the moderation team.”

For those unfamiliar, *Balatro* is a fast-paced, addictive deckbuilder where you bluff your way through illegal poker hands, discover powerful jokers, and chain together wild, explosive combos. IGN awarded the game a 9/10, stating: “A deck-building poker roguelike of endlessly satisfying proportions, *Balatro* is the sort of fun that threatens to derail whole weekend plans.”