Why did thousands of adult games suddenly vanish from major PC gaming platforms?

Why did thousands of adult games suddenly vanish from major PC gaming platforms?

In the past two weeks, thousands of “adult-only” and “not safe for work” (NSFW) games have vanished from Steam and itch.io—two of the biggest platforms for PC games—as they rushed to follow stricter rules imposed by payment companies like Mastercard, Visa, and PayPal.

These rules came after a campaign by the group Collective Shout, which pushed payment processors to stop handling transactions for platforms hosting games with themes of rape, incest, and child sexual abuse. However, the new restrictions have impacted a much wider range of games, including some award-winning titles.

### How did this start?
On July 16, Valve, the company behind Steam, updated its rules about what games and software can be sold on the platform. The existing guidelines already banned “nude or sexually explicit images of real people” and required proper labeling for adult content. The new rules added restrictions on “content that may violate payment processor policies,” including “certain kinds of adult content.”

On July 18, Valve confirmed to PC Gamer that it was removing several games from Steam due to these changes. It didn’t specify which games were affected or what exactly now qualifies as unacceptable adult content.

A week later, itch.io announced it was also facing pressure from payment processors. As a result, it began “deindexing” (removing from search results) all games labeled “NSFW” while conducting a full review to meet payment processor requirements. Unlike Valve, itch.io directly named Collective Shout as the reason for the increased scrutiny.

### What is Collective Shout?
Collective Shout is an Australian organization that campaigns against the objectification of women and the sexualization of girls.

In April, it successfully pushed for the removal of the game No Mercy—which included themes of incest, blackmail, and non-consensual sex—from Steam and itch.io. After this, the group sent an open letter to payment processors, claiming to have found “hundreds of other games featuring rape, incest, and child sexual abuse” on these platforms. It urged payment companies to “demonstrate corporate responsibility” by cutting off payment services for such content.

When Steam changed its rules, Collective Shout took credit, saying over 1,000 of its supporters had contacted payment processors to demand they stop supporting these games.

### Why payment processors?
Like many online stores, Steam and itch.io rely on payment processors to handle transactions. This gives these companies significant influence over what can be sold, even if the content is legal.

In recent years, payment processors have tightened restrictions on adult content. In 2021, OnlyFans—a platform popular with adult creators—briefly announced a ban on explicit material due to payment processor pressure, though it later reversed the decision. That same year, Mastercard introduced new rules for adult content sellers, which critics argued could harm free speech and sex workers—an example of financial censorship.

### Which games have been affected?
It’s unclear how many games Steam has removed, but several featuring incest themes have been taken down. Itch.io has deindexed most NSFW-labeled games while reviewing its content. Among the affected titles is the award-winning Consume Me.Adult Content Removals Spark Backlash in Gaming Community

Over 20,000 games have been removed from itch.io’s adult content section since July 16, according to industry newsletter Game File. The removals include not only explicit titles but also games exploring queer identity and sexuality, such as Robert Yang’s Radiator 2. Some affected games don’t depict sex at all, like Last Call—a game about surviving domestic violence by award-winning designer Nina Freeman—and Consume Me, an acclaimed game about disordered eating.

Industry Reaction

Developers have criticized payment processors like Visa and Mastercard for exerting control over which games can be sold, often influenced by advocacy groups such as Collective Shout. Robert Yang accused these groups of “waging a culture war against LGBTQ people and sexual expression,” while Consume Me’s creators called it “completely unacceptable” that payment companies are enforcing censorship without transparency.

A Change.org petition launched on July 17 demands that payment processors and activist groups “stop controlling what we can watch, read, or play,” arguing that they are interfering with legal entertainment. The petition has gathered over 150,000 signatures. Meanwhile, gamers and developers are sharing contact details for major payment companies, urging people to voice their complaints.

What’s Next?

The future remains uncertain. While consumer pressure could force payment processors to reconsider, anti-censorship efforts face political challenges due to tightening regulations on adult content. The UK recently introduced stricter age verification laws for accessing such material, and the EU is drafting similar rules.

For now, the restrictions are likely to stay in place on platforms like Steam and itch.io. However, the controversy has highlighted the outsized influence payment companies hold—and the lack of clear guidelines governing their decisions. This scrutiny may make them more cautious when responding to activist pressure in the future.