Payment Processors Pressure Valve to Delist Certain Adult Games from Steam

Valve has recently confirmed that it was compelled to remove a selection of adult games from its widely used digital storefront, Steam, due to stringent demands from major financial service providers. This move underscores the considerable power that credit card networks and banks wield over digital content distribution, even in the gaming sector. The company indicated that failing to comply with these demands could jeopardize its entire payment system, potentially preventing customers from making purchases across its platform.

In a direct communication, Valve elaborated on the situation, stating that certain titles on Steam were found to be in breach of the operational guidelines established by their payment processors and their affiliated card networks and banks. Consequently, these particular games have been withdrawn from the Steam marketplace. Valve is extending a gesture of goodwill to the affected developers by offering app credits for future game distribution on Steam, provided these new titles align with the payment processors' revised criteria.

This incident follows closely on the heels of new regulations introduced by Steam that explicitly prohibit adult content deemed objectionable by its financial partners. Although Valve refrained from specifying the exact games removed, it is widely speculated that titles featuring controversial themes, particularly those related to "family-themed" adult content, were targeted. The timing of these delistings coincided with the implementation of Steam's updated content policies, strongly suggesting a direct correlation.

Notably, a Chinese game titled 'Trials of Innocence,' which disappeared around the same time as the adult games, was confirmed by its developers to have been removed due to a DMCA claim, entirely unrelated to the new content policy. This distinction highlights that while financial pressures led to some removals, other factors can also influence a game's availability on the platform.

The current landscape reflects a heightened sensitivity among credit card companies regarding adult content online. This cautious approach stems from past controversies, such as the widely publicized issues involving PornHub several years ago, where unverified and illicit content led to severe backlash and severed ties with major payment providers. Despite Steam's adult content being exclusively animated and not featuring real individuals, payment processors remain wary, indicating a broad and conservative stance on such material.

This scenario establishes a concerning precedent where financial entities effectively dictate content policy on digital platforms. The ability of payment processors to influence what can and cannot be sold on platforms like Steam raises questions about consumer choice and the autonomy of digital storefronts. Ultimately, many observers find it problematic that external financial bodies, rather than content platforms or their users, are the ultimate arbiters of what constitutes acceptable digital goods.