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Balan Wonderworld receiving Day 1 patch to address seizure risk

A late-game moment in Balan Wonderworld is receiving attention due to a flashing-effect 'bug' which may cause seizures.

TJ Denzer

March 26, 2021 7:56 AM

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Balan Wonderworld is set to hit the market today, bringing players into its colorful platforming adventure. However, those with epilepsy or sensitivity to flashing effects may want to be cautious and make sure they get their hands on a Day 1 patch before playing. There have been reports of a late game instance in Balan Wonderworld which could trigger seizures in those with epilepsy and sensitivity to flashing light effects. Square Enix has called it a bug and is issuing an immediate patch to resolve the issue.

The issue in Balan Wonderworld was recently pointed out by fans and fully tested and analyzed by GameInformer. Reportedly, the final boss of the game is where the it occurs (take caution in watching). In some, but apparently not all instances of the encounter, the game seems to exhibit very harsh flashing white effects over the game’s regular scenery. It would appear to be a visual glitch, though its difficult to say how such a glaring flaw made it through testing. Regardless, it’s enough of a problem that Square Enix has issued a patch to try to fix the matter.

Please ensure that you install the Day 1 Patch before playing.

We have received reports of a photo-sensitive epilepsy risk from a potential flashing bug if playing the game un-patched.

The Day 1 Patch prevents this issue as well as enhances the overall play experience.

— Balan Wonderworld (@balanwworld) March 26, 2021

There are no patch notes for Balan Wonderworld’s Day 1 patch, so it’s difficult to know exactly what was fixed or how the matter was improved at this time, but it does warrant further investigation. It’s good on Square Enix to address the matter, but it still leaves many wondering how such an issue made it to the final game in the first place. Though pre-release gameplay was contentious among players, we generally had ourselves a good time with Balan Wonderworld in our preview, enjoying the lighthearted mechanics of its 3D platforming adventure.

Regardless, safety is of utmost concern. It’s safe to say if you want to jump into Balan Wonderworld, epileptic or not, make sure you have that Day 1 patch installed. We will follow with further updates and details on the matter as they become available. The game is out as of March 26, 2021 on Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.

TJ Denzer

Senior News Editor

TJ Denzer is a player and writer with a passion for games that has dominated a lifetime. He found his way to the Shacknews roster in late 2019 and has worked his way to Senior News Editor since. Between news coverage, he also aides notably in livestream projects like the indie game-focused Indie-licious, the Shacknews Stimulus Games, and the Shacknews Dump. You can reach him at tj.denzer@shacknews.com and also find him on Twitter @JohnnyChugs.