We’ve been dreading the day that Balatro would make its way to mobile, and it’s finally almost here. The roguelike poker hit is officially coming to iOS and Android on September 26 — or as we’re calling it, the day productivity dies.
Publisher Playstack announced the news with an absolutely unhinged trailer (you can watch it above) that’s all about how screwed up our ability to get anything else done will be. Even developer LocalThunk said “I’m sorry” about the release.
You can now preorder it on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store for $10. It’ll also be available on Apple Arcade as Balatro+. With the launch, the game will be easier than ever to play on the go and distract you as you’re going about your regular day.
Balatro was a huge success almost immediately, selling 1 million copies in its first month on PC and console thanks to its satisfying gameplay loop. You’re tasked with winning chips as you play through rounds of solo poker; the difference is that you’ll get access to Jokers and other special cards that’ll impact how you play and any bonuses you get. Your goal is to beat the Boss Blinds at the end of each round, but that’s easier said than done.
Playstack has been celebrating Balatro with a number of announcements over the past month. First, we learned that Balatro would be getting a massive free update in 2025 that’ll bring “new ideas and strategies” to the game. Players also got access to another free update called Friends of Jimbo, which added crossover cosmetic cards from the likes of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and Vampire Survivors.
We previously knew that a mobile version was incoming thanks to a Reddit Ask Me Anything thread in March. We also learned that LocalThunk was working on the ports. It was just a matter of time before it showed up to destroy any social lives we had left.
