Adult games are disappearing from platforms like Steam

Steam logo on a phone.

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Gaming platforms like Steam and Itch.io are deindexing and removing adult-only, NSFW games, following concerns from payment processors and pressure from the organization Collective Shout.

Itch.io creator Leaf Corcoran said that the platform has "deindexed" NSFW content from its browse and search pages, explaining the circumstances in a blog post. The move came after scrutiny from the platform's payment processors, with Corcoran saying that their ability to process payments is "critical" for Itch.io's creators.

The move also comes after pressure from Collective Shout, an Australian organization that has a history of campaigning against NSFW content available on gaming marketplaces. The organization called on companies like Visa and Mastercard to stop processing payments for adult-themed games containing disturbing themes.

Itch.io will now conduct a comprehensive audit of the games available within its marketplace. New compliance measures will be introduced and some pages will be permanently removed. Creators were not given any warning before the changes.

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"We understand this action is sudden and disruptive, and we are truly sorry for the frustration and confusion caused by this change," reads the post.

Steam purged its platform of NSFW content last week, also due to payment processing partners like Visa and Mastercard. The gaming marketplace said it will now "[disallow] games that violate the rules and standards set forth by payment processors and card networks, or internet network providers." Mashable has reached out to Visa and Mastercard for comment.

On X, users condemned this censorship, criticizing the new rules implemented by both Itch.io and Steam, and likening the situation to Tumblr banning porn back in 2018.

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Banks have varying rules against NSFW content, previously refusing services to the likes of OnlyFans over concerns of "reputational risk."

Meera is a journalist based between London and New York. Her work has been published in The New York Times, Vice, The Independent, Vogue India, W Magazine, and others. She was previously a Culture Reporter at Mashable.

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