Balatro update delayed to avoid crunch and Monster Hunter Now celebrates second anniversary | Week in Views
The games industry moves quickly and while stories may come and go there are some that we just can't let go of…
So, to give those particularly thorny topics a further going over we've created a weekly digest where the members of the PocketGamer.biz team share their thoughts and go that little bit deeper on some of the more interesting things that have happened in mobile gaming in the past week.
Paige Cook
LocalThunk delays Balatro update to avoid crunch and burnout
Crunch culture has long been a problem in the games industry and honestly, it’s refreshing when we do see developers push back or discuss its impact. LocalThunk’s next update for Balatro is the latest example. The 1.1 update won’t arrive this year now as initially planned and that’s ok.
LocalThunk, who is a solo developer and has described themselves as a hobbyist, is choosing to slow things down rather than rush through the project. The massive heights that Balatro has reached meant that things went from zero to a hundred very quickly for the dev and after such intensity, it’s likely taken a lot of physical and mental effort. Hence, the time now is to prioritise work at a sustainable pace.
Decisions like this benefit the developer and in the long run also usually benefit the player as well. Rushed updates or even full game releases often lead to a product that feels unfinished or has a whole host of issues. As an avid gamer, when I’ve seen a game get pushed back my first thought is that it’ll be better off for it in the end anyway.
LocalThunk even mentioned that perhaps he shouldn’t have set a release window at all, which, again, I think could be a lesson for the wider industry. While I understand that things change during development, there is something to be said for setting realistic deadlines.
In the end, decisions such as this aren't just about a delay in an update or a game, they are about prioritising mental health and having a healthy work environment. Fans aren’t losing anything by waiting for a free update and when it does come, I’m sure it’ll be worth the wait.
Aaron Astle
Monster Hunter Now celebrates second anniversary and $271m in lifetime player spending
Long-time readers of the Week in Views (and listeners of our podcast) will know that I never miss a chance to talk Monster Hunter Now - and those who’ve paid extra-close attention will know I’d been keeping my fingers crossed for Astalos, Tigrex and Garangolm to make it in since launch.
Well, somehow it’s already been two years since Now was released, and thanks to that $3.5 billion deal this spring, Scopely’s the one celebrating it.
Since September 14th, 2023, Monster Hunter Now has earned $271 million in gross player spending according to AppMagic estimates, and pre-acquisition Niantic confirmed 50% of the playerbase logged in seven days a week.
Also since 2023, plenty more main series monsters have made it into the AR spinoff, including Tigrex last winter (one down, two to go).
And, as of yesterday, Garangolm has just arrived too! Now I know what I’ll be playing this weekend…
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