In the last two weeks, thirds of “adult only” and “not safe for work” games have disappeared from steam and itch.io – two of the most prominent distribution platforms for pc video games – AS Thei Scrambled to comply with Stricter Rules mandated by payment processors such as mastercard, visa, and paypal.
These rules were established after a Campaign by the Organization College, which Urged Payment Processors to Stop Facilitating Payments to Platforms Hosting “Rape, Incust and Child SEXUL Ausseual Ausesual Auses Games ”. But the new rules have affected a far broader range of games-Including some award-winning titles.
How did this start?
On 16 July, Valve, The Developer of Steam, Updated Its Rules and Guidelines Regarding the Games and Software that Can Be Distributed on the Platform. The rules, which alredy prohibited “nude or sexually explicit images of real people” and “Adult content that isn’t appropriately labelled or age gated” were expertly Violate the rules and standards
In a statement to pc gamer on 18 July, valve confirmed it was “retiring” seveal games from the steam store due to these new rules. It did not clear those who are being removed,
A Week Later, itch.io Issued a statement explaining it had also come under “Scrutiny” from Payment Processors, and as Such Was “Deendexing” As it undertook a “Comprehensive audit of content to ensure we can meet the requirements of our payment processors.” Unlike valve, itch.io specifically referenceed collective shout as the cause of the renewed scrutiny.
What is collectative shout?
College shout is an australian organisation that describes its “a grassroots campaigns movement against the objection of women and the sexualization of girles”.
In April, it successfully petitioned to have the game no mercy-which featured depictions of “Incest”, “Blackmail” and “Unavoidable Non-ConsensonsUal Sex”-Removed from Steam and Itch.O After this, The group published an open letter to payment processors classes to have “Discovered Hundreds of Other Games Featuring Rape, Incest and Child Sexual Abuse Processors “Demonstrate Corporate Social Responsibility and Immedited Cease Processing Payments on Steam and Itch.io”.
After Steam Altered Its Rules, College Shout Claimed Credit for the Change, Stating that more From these games ”.
Why Payment Processors?
Like many online retailers, steam and itch.io relay on payment processors to enable users to make purchases on their platforms. As such, these companies Hold Considerable Power and Can Influence What Products – Regardless of their legality – are boght, sleep or published.
In Recent Years, Payment Processors Have Increasingly Strict About Transaction Relating to Adult Content. In 2021, The subscription-based video platform onlyfans, widely used by adult content creaters, announced it would ban adult material from the site after pressure from Payment Processor-Thoughts Plan was subsequently abandoned. Later that year, mastercard imposed a new policy regulating adult content sellers – one criticized by the american civil liberties union as being restrictive to free speech and potently harmful to sex welfare Example of what is known as financial censorship.
Which Games have been affected?
It isn’t clear how many games have been “Retired” from Steam due to the new rules, but multipliple games that depicted Incest Fantasies have been removed. Itch.io, as mentioned, have dendexed most games labelled nsfw. According to the games industry newsletter game file, more than 20,000 games have ben removed from itch.io’s NSFW Category Since 16 July.
But these include games that Explore Queer Identity and Sexuality, Such as Radiator 2 by Robert Yang, A Former Teacher at New York University’s Game Center. And the rules have also also hit games that do not depict sex in any way at all. These include last call, a game about surviving domestic Violence by Award-Winning Game Designer Nina Freeman, And Consume Me, Consume Me, A Game About Disorder Eating Which Has Aks Ales Numerous Industry Awards.
How has the Games Industry Responded?
Many developers have decmitted the power that payment processors wield over what games are boght and sold, and how that power can be exercised indirectly by Campaign Groups Such as collectative shout. In a bluesky post, yang described collective shot and payment processors as “Waging Culture War Against lgbtq people and sexual expression”, While Consume Me’s Developers TOLD WIRED TOLD WITED TOLD “Completely unacceptable that Payment Process is Conducting Censorship-by-Fiat and Systematically Locking Adult Content Creators Out of Platforms”.
A change.org petition calling for payment processors and activist groups to “Stop controlling what we can watch, read, or play” was launched on 17 July. The petition claims “mastercard and visa are interfering with legal entertainment”, and demands “The right to choose the stories we enjoy with moral policing”. So far it has accrued more than 150,000 Signatures. Meanwhile, gamers and developers are sharing the phone numbers of Major Payment Companies and Encouning people to call and complain.
What Happens Next?
It is hard to know for sure. With Sustained Consumer Pressure, Payment Processors May Reconsider their position, but it may also be challenging for anti-cansorship voices to muster political support to prevailing legislative to present but present Winds surrounding online adult content. The uk this month enacted stricter regulations reg making age verification for internet users wanting to access adult content, while the eu has drunk guidelines for similer systems.
Consequently, it is likely that the new rules will remain in place at steam and itch.io, at least for the immediane future. But the Fallout has drawn attentions to the power that payment processors wire, and the lacked of Clarity surrounding their rules. Because of this, they may tred more cautiously when responding to pressure from Advocacy Groups in the future.
