Balamak was a celestial body situated within the Mid Rim region of the galaxy. Prior to the Battle of Scarif, a conflict, known as the battle of Balamak, occurred there. This battle is referenced by the red trim on the clothing worn by senator Vasp Vaspar. According to First Order news reports, the New Republic carried out a severe crackdown on Balamak's inhabitants. Stormtrooper FN-2187 witnessed one of these broadcasts during a morale session in his training, not long before he was deployed to the planet Jakku.
The first reference to Balamak appeared in Tatooine Manhunt, an adventure module for the Star Wars Legends version of Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game, created by West End Games. This book, authored by Bill Slavicsek and Daniel Greenberg, was released in 1988. The location's status as canon was solidified when it was referenced in the "Finn" portion of Before the Awakening, an anthology written by Greg Rucka and published in 2015.