The gaming industry is embroiled in a wave of outrage as developers and fans confront what appears to be the largest crackdown on adult video games in recent memory. At the center of this chaos are storefronts like Valve’s Steam and indie platform itch.io, which have recently delisted or de-indexed adult content — sparking fears of looming censorship driven by payment processors.
But who exactly is pulling the strings? The answer remains unclear, and depending on who you ask, the blame shifts.
A Domino Effect Sparked by Payment Fears
Initial backlash erupted when games with adult or explicit themes began disappearing or became harder to find on platforms like Steam and itch.io. Developers assumed that pressure from major payment providers like Visa and Mastercard forced storefronts to act — a theory backed by both Valve and itch.io at the time.
Itch.io went further, naming the Australian activist group Collective Shout as the catalyst. The organization has long campaigned against depictions of sexualized violence in media and confirmed it had indeed written to Visa and Mastercard about explicit games, leading to communication with storefronts.
“We called on Itch.io to remove rape and incest games that we argued normalised violence and abuse of women,” Collective Shout said in a public statement. “Itch.io made the decision to remove all NSFW content.”
However, this broad action swept up unrelated titles such as Mouthwashing, which disappeared temporarily from itch.io. Itch.io later clarified the game had already been unlisted due to policy violations related to external links. Since then, some adult games have been relisted on the platform, though the damage to developer trust remains.
Conflicting Statements and Industry Fallout
Despite initial claims from storefronts, both Visa and Mastercard have since denied placing any direct restrictions on adult games. “We allow all lawful purchases on our network,” Mastercard said. “However, we require merchants to ensure Mastercard cards cannot be used for unlawful content.”
Valve has stood by its 2018 policy of only distributing legal content, but it also indicated that banks — not Visa or Mastercard directly — may have raised concerns on behalf of the payment networks. According to Valve, those banks interpreted Mastercard’s brand image policies in ways that clashed with the platform’s more lenient guidelines.
This murky chain of accountability has left developers furious and fans mobilizing. Some have flooded Visa and Mastercard with calls and emails, hoping to reverse the trend. Meanwhile, storefronts are caught in the middle, forced to choose between complying with vague demands or risking payment support altogether.
Industry Response: Free Games, Open Protest
In a show of resistance, storefronts and developers have begun using their platforms to fight back.
GOG, a DRM-free game platform, temporarily offered a free bundle of 13 adult games to protest the apparent censorship. Over a million users downloaded the collection before it was pulled.
“Some games vanish,” read GOG’s message. “Not because they broke the law but because someone decided they shouldn’t exist.”
Independent developer Cara Cadaver echoed that sentiment after her game Vile: Exhumed was delisted. In protest, she made the game free to download from her own website. Despite its adult themes, Vile: Exhumed isn’t pornographic — it explores dark subjects through a narrative interface — making it a clear example of how broad bans can silence legitimate storytelling.
“F*** anyone who tries to control storytelling and expression,” Cadaver wrote on social media.
The Bigger Threat: What Comes Next?
As the controversy deepens, smaller storefronts are becoming unlikely champions of creative freedom. Platforms like Zoom have committed to keeping adult content online and are exploring alternate payment processors. Zoom warned that censorship could eventually affect even major franchises like Grand Theft Auto, Saints Row, and Duke Nukem if unchecked.
Collective Shout, notably, has previously targeted Detroit: Become Human and even played a role in Grand Theft Auto V being pulled from certain Australian retailers.
Alternative platforms such as Nutaku have also reasserted their support for adult games and invited developers facing bans to contact them directly. “Lewd gaming matters,” the company declared.
A Fight Over Expression, Not Illegality
What began as a murky financial dispute has spiraled into a broader cultural battle. Developers argue they are being punished not for breaking laws, but for creating content that makes some groups uncomfortable.
As GOG put it, “If a game is legal, you should be free to buy it.” Whether the industry at large can uphold that principle in the face of mounting pressure remains to be seen. But one thing is clear: this fight isn’t over — and for many developers, it’s just getting started.
