Jackpot! Balatro Hits 2 Million Sales

Balatro Sales Reach 2 Million as Devs Promise First Major Update Soon

Last year, I would’ve said that making a roguelike based on poker would be a huge gamble, and now, it’s clear that the payout was worth it. Developer LocalThunk is celebrating the 2-million milestone with a free major update that will introduce new ways to absolutely break the meanings of face, rank, and suit.

I was skeptical of Balatro at first, because I’m not a big fan of poker. But it’s brilliant in its simplicity, and like most brilliant roguelikes, discovering how to “break” the game feels like magic. And according to our writer Samiee Tee, it draws on the parallels that lie between roguelikes and gambling (“just one more run/spin…”).

More News by the Numbers

• Brandon Sanderson’s Cosmere RPG Kickstarter raised $5 million in a day (formerly known as the Stormlight Archives RPG)

• Enshrouded crossed 3 million sales, and the studio has doubled in size since early access launch

• Three months since launch, Abiotic Factor has sold 600k copies, another win for the indie survival crafter

• Cataclismo, an early access strategy base builder, hits 120k sales in just two weeks

Star Wars Outlaws Roadmap Brings More Stories in a Galaxy Far Far Away

Hot off the heels of our pretty positive preview of Star Wars Outlaws, we got the news about an upcoming roadmap to go with it. If you get the season pass, you’ll get access to two story DLCs over the next year, one of which features Lando Calrissian. You’ll also get two more cosmetic bundles. That’s all on top of the previously confirmed Jabba’s Gambit content that’s coming.

Of course, roadmaps are everywhere in the industry, and while it’s easy to be cynical about them, it’s also nice knowing what’s coming down the pike. Or at least, what’s promised to be coming down the pike.

Other roadmaps revealed this week include one for the early access farming-life sim Fields of Mistria, which promises marriage and new biomes, among other things. Our writer Brittany Alva enjoyed her time with it, giving the game an 8.5. Additionally, another ongoing magical life sim, Disney Dreamlight Valley, is promising to bring Timon and Pumbaa to the game soon.

New Games on the Horizon?

• Sega trademarks “Yakuza Wars.” Unrelated, but Ryu Ga Gotoku is announcing its new project at Gamescom.

• Monolith Soft, the studio behind Xenoblade, is working on something new.

• Wolfeye Studios, made up of mostly ex-Arkane devs, announces a new first-person action RPG.

GTA Publisher Says Putting New Games on Game Pass Isn't "Rational"

Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick doubled down on his take from 2022, where he said that putting games on a subscription service day one doesn’t make sense as a business decision. So don’t hold your breath on GTA VI being day-one on Xbox Game Pass.

He’s got a point though. It’s not rational; in fact, it’s very convenient. So convenient that it was almost too good to believe—so much so that Microsoft has locked away the day-one perk to a higher Game Pass tier.

Crossed Up With Crossovers

• Dead By Daylight is collaborating with Five Nights at Freddy’s

• But first, get excited for Dead By Daylight’s upcoming Castlevania crossover (ft. Dracula)

• And right now, you can play a Fall Guys-like in Fortnite