Steam and itch.io remove adult games after payment policy changes

Steam and itch.io have removed adult-rated games from their platforms following updated policies from major payment processors. This stems from new rules implemented by Visa and Mastercard.

The companies have restricted digital stores from selling titles with NSFW content amid other certain themes. This was influenced by lobbying efforts from Australian activist group Collective Shout, raising concerns about access to explicit content online.

This resulted in itch.io being the first to delist all adult content from their store. While Steam followed suit, the platform only removed hundreds of titles with themes including slavery or incest.

Steam still allows games with adult content, but is now compliant towards the new payment regulations. Visa and Mastercard affect itch.io more seeing as they are the main payment platforms used for their store.

The removal of certain adult games has raised concerns among some users about potential overreach. There are fears that the restrictions could expand to titles with less explicit content in the future.

For now, most general adult games on Steam remain available. However, certain developers are affected as their titles are being delisted on the platform.

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Communication graduate, closet cynic, and kid at heart. Duane is a rare person to find, quite literally. He often takes to himself but has proven his mettle in tech media with his quick wits. Well, the portfolio of scriptwriting, web content, and public relations help too, we suppose. As a homebody, he often spends his time on the streaming platform Twitch or ‘farming’ gaming clips with friends. He is also an avid fan of round glasses and anything relative to blueberries.