Steam and Itch.io Delist Games Amid Payment Provider Pressure

Visa and Mastercard faced backlash after they were accused of pressuring platforms to censor legal adult content. Both companies stated that they do not ban games but enforce legal compliance. Developers reported removals of LGBTQ or mature games following card network guidelines without clear transparency.

Valve corporation and Itch.io removed a range of NSFW games after campaigns by activist groups and pressure from payment providers. Developers claimed that even nonviolent LGBTQ content was impacted, raising concerns over consistency and fairness in enforcement.

Collective Shout is an Australian activist group that lobbied for the removal of games depicting themes such as rape and incest. The group claimed these removals protected women and girls, but critics warned it set a dangerous precedent for corporate censorship of legal expression.

Community response included petitions and public condemnation from developers and gamers. Many argued that Visa and Mastercard were becoming moral gatekeepers, and that private payment networks should not dictate policy decisions regarding legal content on digital storefronts.