Odd Todd is finally odd, Square Joker is actually square — and other nonsense only Balatro players will understand, as its biggest update rolls out to all platforms
Balatro update 1.0.1f is finally live on Steam and out of experimental, with console update soon to follow
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What you need to know
If you’re as addicted to Balatro as half of our team are, I have some good news. A huge update just dropped to the game on PC that has made the game even better. Whether you want to climb the stakes or get all the trophies (including that horrifying Completionist++ achievement), it’s just got a whole load easier. I’ve been playing the previous version of Patch 1.0.1f for nearly a month now on my Steam Deck and I can’t wait for everyone else to experience it.
Balatro patch 1.0.1f is a noticeably better game than it’s predecessor, from free Jokers for skipping blinds to less punishing higher stakes
I’ve already been playing a version of this patch for around a month on Steam, as you can access experimental versions of the game there, and it was immediately so good I completely abandoned my Xbox playthrough and advised others tostop playing Balatro on Xbox too. However, at the time, the message was that the patch would be rolling out within a week or so. As it happened, developer LocalThunk wanted to make more adjustments, so it’s only hit Steam officially in its current form in the past 24 hours, and they state that “We are submitting the patch to consoles ASAP - I do not have an ETA, but it should be approximately a week or two”. There is a raft of changes, but the most game-changing for me is that skipping a blind for a special Joker now awards that Joker for free, all first shops have a Buffoon Pack, and gold stake has a ‘rental’ mechanic rather than increasing pack costs. These are just a few huge changes that make the game much less punishing when chasing the higher stake completions and trying to unlock Jokers. You can read thefull patch notes on Reddit, but I’ve summarized them here:
Free jokers for skipping blinds, bump to financial rewards.
Changes to Planet cards, making more difficult hands easier to scale
Joker changes, mostly buffs, but some nerfs to overpowered cards like Vampire
Tarot card and seal changes
Ante scaling changes making higher stakes less brutal
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Adjustments to Perishable mechanic
More notable changes
When will patch 1.0.1f roll out to Xbox?
The patch is available on PC right now, but due to console verification, we may be waiting for up to a week for the Xbox version of patch 1.0.1f to land. The developer has said “I do not have an ETA but it should be approximately a week or two. I appreciate your patience!”
Balatro |was $17.89now $9.19 at CD Keys|$13.49 at Fanatical|$13.49 at GMGBolatro is a poker-inspired rogue-lite deck builder. Balatro challenges players to create powerful synergies and win big by playing illegal poker hands with unique Joker cards and arcanas. It’s currently reviewed at 97%overwhelmingly positiveon Steam for its addictive gameplay and psychedelic visuals.
Jen is a News Writer for Windows Central, focused on all things gaming and Microsoft. Anything slaying monsters with magical weapons will get a thumbs up such as Dark Souls, Dragon Age, Diablo, and Monster Hunter. When not playing games, she’ll be watching a horror or trash reality TV show, she hasn’t decided which of those categories the Kardashians fit into. You can follow Jen on Twitter@Jenbox360for more Diablo fangirling and general moaning about British weather.
