LocalThunk, the developer behind Balatro, a major hit at the 2024 Game Developers Conference, chooses privacy over public recognition. Playstack's team accepts awards on his behalf to respect his desire for anonymity while allowing him creative freedom. Despite his absence from the spotlight, LocalThunk is still actively meeting with other developers. Balatro gained significant popularity, selling over 5 million copies, thanks to the acclaim from prior demos and recognition at various award ceremonies.
The team does that to give LocalThunk the freedom to work in the style that he likes, which we respect. That's our job, van Haldren adds.
LocalThunk didn't want to be public, but he also didn't want to be disrespectful to fans and the industry, so now the Playstack team accepts his awards on his behalf.
He just prefers not to be in the spotlight. His mysteriousness extends to how he communicates with the team and makes games.
Balatro was one of the biggest hits of 2024, launching after a series of popular demos to wide acclaim.
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