Balatro's developer remains anonymous to maintain privacy

Balatro’s developer remains anonymous, going by the name LocalThunk. Recently, the game won four Game Developers Choice Awards, including Game of the Year. Playstack's communications director, Wout van Haldren, spoke on behalf of LocalThunk during the awards ceremony. LocalThunk prefers to stay out of the public eye, allowing him to focus on his work. Playstack's marketing director, Liz Cheng-Moore, explained that this arrangement helps him maintain his creative freedom. The team accepts awards for him to show respect for his choice to remain private. Balatro became a major success after launching in 2024. The game sold over 5 million copies and even added versions for iOS and Android. While LocalThunk attended the Game Developers Conference, he is expected to continue his anonymity, not seeking fame like the artist Banksy. His communication style with the team is also unique. Cheng-Moore shared that LocalThunk quickly developed and launched recent projects without significant timelines. Van Haldren noted that the upcoming gameplay update might be a surprise, as LocalThunk works best without pressure. "I have not seen a single thing he’s working on," he stated, expressing excitement about the unexpected.