Summary
Balatro’s creator, LocalThunk, recently clarified his stance on AI following a discussion on a subreddit, stating that he doesn’t support it because it “does real harm to artists of all kinds.” The debate about AI is a major topic within the video game industry, and now it has reached the audience and creator of the poker-inspired roguelike deck builder indie game,Balatro.
Balatrois a game created by solo developer LocalThunk, who spent over four years building it from scratch.Balatrois a passion project that required an immense amount of work—work that, as LocalThunk admitted, was initially just meant for his family and friends but unexpectedly turned into a major success. LocalThunk didn’t implement any AI in the game and created everything entirely by hand without any assistance from AI. With the discussion surrounding AI growing more heated online—especially amid the ongoing SAG-AFTRA actors' strike—several figures in the industry have spoken out about AI’s use in gamingand its impact on artists. Now, it was LocalThunk’s turn to clarify his personal stance on the technology, along with that of publisher Playstack.
Following a discussion on a subreddit, LocalThunk was explicit about his position regarding AI, stating that he does not condone it because it harms artists of all kinds. As a result, neither he nor Playstack will allow AI-generated images on theBalatro’s subreddit. As documented byRPS, LocalThunk was prompted to clarify this due to a misunderstanding involving a moderator who incorrectly claimed that Playstack supposedly had no issue with AI after a user posted an AI-generated image. This misstatement sparked some backlash against Playstack andthe popularBalatro.
Balatro Creator Says AI ‘Does Real Harm to Artists of All Kinds’
After noticing the situation, LocalThunk first addressed his stance on Twitter, clarifying that the moderator’s statement “doesn’t represent my beliefs.” He then took to Reddit to further elaborate on his position.Balatro’s indie game creatorproceeded to ban the moderator who had made those claims about AI and informed the community that AI-generated content would be forbidden onBalatro’s subreddit moving forward. “Neither Playstack nor I condone AI ‘art’,” was LocalThunk’s conclusion on the matter.
As industry professionals continue to speak out about AI, theSAG-AFTRA actors’ strike remains unresolvedafter a new proposal failed to satisfy the union. Reports indicate that the proposal contained “alarming loopholes” that could significantly harm artists’ work while leaving them vulnerable to AI abuse. While many artists continue to push back against AI, it remains to be seen how this technology will eventually be regulated.
