Steam, itch.io, and Visa Drama: Why Adult Games Are Disappearing and What It Means for Gamers
Gamers and developers are caught in a messy situation as Steam, itch.io, and other digital storefronts face off with major payment processors like Visa and Mastercard. This battle over adult game content and potential censorship has led to confusion, frustration, and a lot of finger-pointing, but the facts reveal a tangled web of responsibility and response.
- Why adult games are disappearing from Steam and itch.io
- What payment processors like Visa and Mastercard have said
- How advocacy groups like Collective Shout are involved
- What game developers and other storefronts are doing in response
- What this could mean for the future of gaming content
The Disappearing Act: Who’s Pulling the Strings?
It all started when fans and game creators noticed adult games getting delisted or hidden on platforms like Steam and itch.io. The initial explanation? Both storefronts claimed they were worried about losing access to payment services from Visa and Mastercard. Itch.io went further, naming the activist group Collective Shout as a key player. This group has long campaigned against games depicting violence against women, and after writing an open letter to payment processors, they confirmed their influence on the recent actions by Valve and itch.io.
Collective Shout explained, “We raised our objection to rape and incest games on Steam for months, and they ignored us for months. We approached payment processors because Steam did not respond to us. We called on Itch.io to remove rape and incest games that we argued normalised violence and abuse of women. Itch.io made the decision to remove all NSFW content. Our objections were to content that involved sexualised violence and torture of women.”
Games Gone Missing—And Coming Back
When itch.io made its move, some unrelated games like Mouthwashing also disappeared. However, itch.io later clarified that Mouthwashing hadn’t been indexed since October 2024 because the developer redirected fans to the Steam page, which violated itch.io’s standards. The indie platform has since relisted some free adult games.
Gamers Push Back—and Payment Processors Respond
Meanwhile, the gaming community responded in force, flooding Visa and Mastercard with calls, emails, and even investor meeting interruptions. But both payment giants deny direct involvement. Mastercard released a statement: “Put simply, we allow all lawful purchases on our network. At the same time, we require merchants to have appropriate controls to ensure Mastercard cards cannot be used for unlawful purchases, including illegal adult content.” (source)
So, who’s really making these decisions? Valve says Mastercard never contacted them directly, but banks and other payment processors passed along concerns. Valve maintains it follows its 2018 policy to distribute legal games, but payment processors reportedly rejected this, citing Mastercard rules about illegal material or content that could harm the brand’s image. You can read Valve’s statement to Kotaku here.
Solidarity and Free Games: The Industry Reacts
With so much uncertainty, organizations and storefronts are taking action. For example, retro games platform GOG offered a bundle of 13 adult titles for free, and over a million people downloaded it. Their message was clear: “Some games vanish. Not because they broke the law but because someone decided they shouldn’t exist.” (source)
Individual developers are joining in too. Cara Cadaver, creator of Vile: Exhumed, announced she would not let storefronts quietly remove her game. Instead, she made it free to download from a dedicated website. Vile: Exhumed, a mystery game with adult themes, is not typical pornographic content but was still swept up in the controversy.
Cadaver wrote on social media, “Fuck anyone who tries to control storytelling and expression.”
The Bigger Picture: What’s Next for Gaming Content?
Some worry this could be just the beginning. Collective Shout has previously criticized mainstream titles like Detroit: Become Human and helped remove games like Grand Theft Auto 5 from stores in Australia (source). Smaller storefronts like Zoom are promising not to pull any games and are exploring alternative payment options. Zoom’s spokesperson warned that removing games with “uncomfortable subject matter” could spread to franchises like Grand Theft Auto, Duke Nukem, and Saints Row (source).
Meanwhile, adult game-friendly platforms like Nutaku are welcoming developers who’ve lost their storefronts, stating, “Lewd gaming matters.” (source)
GOG sums up the mood with its campaign tagline: “If a game is legal, you should be free to buy it.”
