On July 16, Valve updated its Steam publisher rules, introducing a significant change that prohibits games containing content deemed unacceptable by Steam’s payment processors, card networks, banks, or internet service providers. This move has already led to the removal of several adult-oriented games from the storefront, marking a shift in how the platform moderates explicit content.
New Clause Targets Payment Processor Compliance
The updated Steamworks Onboarding guidelines now include a 15th rule explicitly banning “content that may violate the rules and standards set forth by Steam’s payment processors and related card networks and banks, or internet network providers.” While Steam has long prohibited games featuring hate speech, defamatory statements, or otherwise egregious material, this new rule appears to tighten restrictions on adult-only and sexually explicit content specifically.
The language of the rule leaves room for interpretation, as it is unclear how broadly Steam or its payment partners will apply these standards. So far, however, the enforcement appears targeted: multiple games labeled as sexually explicit or with other adult-only tags have already been removed from the platform, according to SteamDB event logs.
Mature Content Warnings Still Under Review
The rule change comes amid reports earlier this month that some users managed to suppress mature content warnings on Steam. Typically, users encounter a pop-up asking for a birthdate when browsing games flagged for violence, sexual content, or other mature themes. It is unclear whether Valve intends to formalize this ability to hide warnings as an official feature or limit it to specific regions or user preferences.
Growing Trend Toward Content Moderation
This policy shift mirrors similar moves by other platform holders. For example, Nintendo recently updated its developer guidelines for the eShop to reject spammy or brand-damaging content. Steam’s focus, however, seems aimed at maintaining compliance with financial and network partners — entities that often impose their own restrictions on what types of content they will process or host.
Adult-only (AO) rated games have long faced distribution hurdles, often being excluded from mainstream storefronts. Steam has been more permissive than most in hosting such games, but this update signals a more cautious approach that could significantly impact developers in this niche.
As of now, the full extent of the rule’s impact remains uncertain. Developers and users alike will be watching closely to see how Valve and its partners interpret and enforce these new standards in the coming months.
