Balatro 1.1 Details Reveal New Mechanic, Four Jokers and Lunker Voucher

Balatro creator LocalThunk has shared a much clearer look at what is coming in the long-awaited 1.1 update, including a new card trigger, at least four new Jokers, a Tier 2 Voucher called Lunker and another rework for Blue Stake. The update is still in development, however, and there is no new release window after the previously planned 2025 launch was missed.

The new additions go beyond simply expanding Balatro’s collection of Jokers. LocalThunk is also changing how Vouchers can appear, separating new content from balance changes through an optional profile setting, and preparing a Steam fallback for players who rely on older mods.

Balatro 1.1 Adds a New Drawn-to-Hand Mechanic

One of the more substantial gameplay additions is a new trigger for when a card is drawn to the player’s hand. LocalThunk said the condition can activate during regular rounds as well as when cards appear inside Tarot and Spectral Packs.

LocalThunk demonstrated the idea with an example called “Ace up your Sleeve”, which would grant +1 Mult whenever an Ace is drawn to hand. The example does not appear to confirm that Ace up your Sleeve will be one of the finished Jokers, but it shows how the new trigger can create effects that happen before a card is played or scored.

At least four new Jokers are planned for 1.1, up from LocalThunk’s earlier confirmation of at least two. One of the newly shown Jokers is called Survey. Its temporary artwork uses a simple smiley face, while LocalThunk described its unfinished effect only as something that “does the thing with the face cards”.

The rough appearance is intentional. LocalThunk said placeholder artwork lets development continue while features are tested, ported and translated, with finished pixel art able to come later in the process.

Lunker Joins a Reworked Voucher System

Another confirmed addition is Lunker, a new Tier 2 Voucher. Its arrival is also tied to changes in how Balatro chooses the next Voucher available to the player.

The revised system will give upgraded Tier 2 Vouchers a better chance of appearing when the player already owns Tier 1 Vouchers without their corresponding upgrade. That should make taking an early Tier 1 Voucher more meaningful later in a run rather than leaving its upgrade entirely disconnected from what the player has already collected.

Blue Stake is changing again as well. LocalThunk said he had previously built another version of its rework before changing direction several months ago, with the newer design fitting Balatro better in his view.

New Content Can Be Disabled Without Blocking Achievements

Balatro 1.1 will draw an important line between balance changes and entirely new content. Joker reworks and the Blue Stake changes will apply regardless of the player’s settings, while a profile checkbox will control whether additions such as the new Jokers and Vouchers enter the game.

Players who leave the new 1.1 content disabled will still be able to earn achievements. That gives anyone who prefers the existing content pool a way to keep it while still receiving the broader balance changes included with the update.

PC players will have another compatibility option. Once 1.1 launches, Steam is expected to offer a selectable 1.0 branch so older mods that are not immediately compatible with the update can continue running on the previous version.

Balatro 1.1 Still Has No Release Date

Despite revealing more of the update, LocalThunk is deliberately avoiding another launch window. Balatro 1.1 was previously expected in 2025, but the developer said that committing to a timeframe had been a mistake while working on the game alone.

“I won’t give concrete details about a launch window.”

LocalThunk also explained that burnout following Balatro’s mobile release in September 2024 led to a period where he could not work on the game. Development has since resumed, and he said the past year of work on 1.1 has been among the most fulfilling periods he has had making Balatro. A working version of 1.1 is already running on his phone, but LocalThunk still wants the freedom to remove, expand or rethink major features before release.

The current plan also gives a clearer idea of where Balatro development may eventually stop. LocalThunk expects to release version 1.1.0, followed a few months later by 1.1.1 with bug fixes and balance adjustments. He currently has no Balatro 1.2 planned and no plans for an official multiplayer version.