Steam Cracks Down on some Sex Games to Appease Payment Processors

Visa and Mastercard Are Reportedly Censoring Video Games Alongside Australian Activist Group Collective Shout

In the digital age, where video games represent a multi-billion-dollar industry blending art, entertainment, and expression, a new front in the battle over content control has emerged. Payment processors like Visa and Mastercard, wielding immense economic leverage, are increasingly dictating what games can be sold on platforms like Steam, effectively censoring the video game industry. The post Visa and Mastercard Are Reportedly Censoring Video G…

Steam Payment Processor Update / Collective Shout Controversy

The Steam Payment Processor Update Controversy refers to backlash over a change to the Steam guidelines, allegedly brought on by the group Collective Shout, stating that content that violates the rules made by payment processors will not be allowed on the store. The update resulted in the removal of a variety of adult video games from Steam, most of which included incest and other sexually explicit themes. News of the update started spreading on…

Valve Pulls 'Adult Only' Games From Steam as It Tightens Rules to Appease Payment Partners

Valve is tightening its guidelines around 'adult only' content to satisfy rules set by Steam's payment processing partners, with dozens of sexually explicit games removed from the platform throughout the week.As spotted by GameSpark and shared by Automaton, SteamDB logs show a flurry of activity behind the scenes as Steam updated its 'Rules and Guidelines' policy, making it clear that publishing "certain kinds" of adult-only content could violat…

Payment Giants Pressured to Block 500 Games That Normalise Abuse of Women and Girls

An Australian group against the exploitation of women and girls has joined a global chorus calling on CEOs of major payment platforms to stop the purchase of online games with disturbing content. Collective Shout has called on the leaders of Paypal, Mastercard, Visa, Paysafe Limited, Discover and Japan Credit Bureau to take action after an investigation found 500 games on hosting sites like Steam and Itch.io featured themes of sexual assault, in…

This VTuber Just Raised Over $780 for the ACLU. After Steam's New Content Policies? Her Anti-Censorship Message Is Urgent

I’ve been thinking a lot today about Steam’s new changes to its Steamworks Documentation guidelines. According to reports published yesterday, Valve now suggests “certain kinds of adult only content” should not be published on Steam if they violate the “rules and standards set forth by Steam’s payment processors and related card networks and banks, or internet network providers.” While Valve’s updated documentation is vague, data from SteamDB su…

Valve Bows To Credit Card Companies, Announces Steam Ban On "Certain Kinds Of Adult Only Content" As Determined By "The Standards Set Forth By Payment Processors"

In becoming the latest major commercial entity to acquiesce to the rising puritanism of Western credit card companies, Valve has announced that all games submitted for sale through their Steam digital storefront, but in particular those that are more ‘adult-oriented’, will now be subject to review and action according to the “rules and standards” set forth by their various payment processors. Rachel (Michie Tomizawa) has had enough of Marbus’ (Y…