The fourth season of Major League Balatro has officially begun, featuring a competitive league centered around the game Balatro, which combines poker mechanics with a unique twist.
This season includes 24 bloggers, and matches are played in the unofficial Balatro Multiplayer mode, which introduces an online gameplay feature. In this format, two opponents play their rounds on the same deal, each starting with four lives. For every round lost, one life is deducted, and the first player to lose all their lives is declared the match loser.
Players are divided into two conferences and four divisions, with each team playing one match per week. The regular season lasts for eight weeks, after which 16 players will advance to the playoffs, culminating in a final scheduled for October.
The tournament is organized by a player known as Zaino, who not only manages the league but also competes in it. Importantly, the project is not affiliated with the game's creator, LocalThunk, or the publisher, Playstack.
In December 2024, the European age rating system PEGI assigned Balatro an 18 rating due to its depiction of gambling; however, this was later appealed and reduced to a 12 rating. Currently, the league has no partners from the gambling industry, with support coming from a ceramics workshop and a wooden countertop manufacturer.