Balatro developer LocalThunk turns up on Discord to talk about the 1.1 update and life after burnout: 'I truly am having the best time making the game now'

It's been a good while since we last heard about Balatro's big 1.1 update—a year, almost to the day, since developer LocalThunk delayed it into 2026. There's still no sign of it, but the community did catch sight of LocalThunk yesterday when he popped into the Balatro Discord to let everyone know that everything is going fine.

"I'm happy the leaks are going over so well," LocalThunk wrote, referring to teases about the 1.1 update that he's been posting himself. For instance:

"I know you guys want to know as much as possible about 1.1 but I can't give away too much. I know it's taken a very long time and I've completely blown past the 2025 time frame but I promise I'm cooking in the way that is both best for me and ultimately for the game."

That tracks back to LocalThunk's 2025 message about the 1.1 delay, in which he said he became "well and truly burned out" after going too hard for too long on Balatro's development. After taking an extended break, he "very slowly" eased back into the work and was approaching more like a hobby developer, avoiding deadlines and not "trying to force things creatively." He also expressed regret for announcing the then-2025 release target for the 1.1 update, a point he reiterated in his new message.

"I understand how frustrating that must be and I wish I could go back in time and slap some sense into myself," Localtnunk continued. "At the time it was still go-go-go and I never even considered that I could allow myself to stop, then after mobile came out I was just so burnt out I couldn't touch the game for a bit. Luckily things have changed."

Consequently, LocalThunk said he'll continue to turn up in the Balatro Discord now and then to reassure people that the 1.1 update is still in development, and maybe post some more "leaks," but there won't be any commitment to a release target until it's ready to go. He also made clear that despite knowing people may be frustrated by the long wait, he's not going to speed things up: "I don't want this to be half baked and wreck Balatro, I love the game too and I want to play a fun game not a rushed botch job."

"I truly am having the best time making the game now. This past year of dev has been probably the most fulfilling work I've ever done, including pre launch times when it was a little hobby project," LocalThunk concluded. "I'm trying to keep offline as much as possible because that's a recipe that works well for me but I'll ease back in when 1.1 is ready to go."

People on the Balatro Discord, for the record, showed no sign of the frustration or impatience LocalThunk is concerned about: Most of the responses expressed happiness that he's doing well and encouraged him to take his time with it. One apparent newcomer to the Discord was particularly excited by the mere appearance of the dev:

For Balatro heads eager for information on what the update will contain, LocalThunk shared more than just the 'four Jokers' tidbit above. The major points are collected in this Reddit thread: A tier 2 voucher named Lunker, algorithmic changes for picking the next voucher, a blue stakes rework, and that sort of thing. What really leapt out to me, though, is that LocalThunk expects the 1.1 update to be the end of the road: After the 1.1 update comes, a 1.1.1 update will follow "for balance tweaks and changes after player feedback."

"That's likely it," he wrote. "Don't expect any more than that." He also confirmed that Balatro will not be getting a multiplayer mode.

It should go without saying at this point, but I'll say it anyway: The Balatro 1.1 update sounds like it will be big, but there's absolutely no indication as to when it will arrive.