US EditionGame Developers Org ‘Alarmed’ by Censorship and Delisting of ‘NSFW’ Games Following Payment Processor Backlash (Gaming News Roundup)
AUSTRALIA, JUL 29 – Itch.io removed thousands of adult games to comply with payment processors like Visa and Mastercard amid pressure from activist group Collective Shout, sparking developer backlash and a 170,000-signature petition.
- Itch.io and Steam recently removed adult and NSFW games from public browsing following payment processor backlash in mid-2025.
- The removals responded to pressure from payment companies like Mastercard and Visa, triggered by campaigns against controversial games such as 'No Mercy'.
- Itch.io updated its content guidelines banning sexualized depictions of real humans, minors, non-consensual acts, and related themes to comply with payment partners.
- Itch.io warned developers that violations are permanent with no appeal, and payouts might be withheld or refunded if rules are broken, calling the change 'sudden and disruptive'.
- The International Game Developers Association urged clearer rules and transparency amid censorship concerns, highlighting impacts on marginalized creators and advocating fair appeals.
17 Articles
17 Articles
Game Developers Org ‘Alarmed’ by Censorship and Delisting of ‘NSFW’ Games Following Payment Processor Backlash (Gaming News Roundup)
International Game Developers Association (IGDA) released a statement Tuesday calling for "greater transparency and fairness" in censoring NSFW games.
International Game Developers Association "Seriously Alarmed" By Recent Delisting Of Games
The International Game Developers Association (IGDA) has released a statement condemning the recent crackdown on games featuring adult themes on PC storefronts, calling for "greater transparency and fairness" in the moderation of adult games. The statement comes after both Steam and Itch.io caved to pressure from payment processors--themselves targeted by anti-porn lobby group Collective Shout--and abruptly delisted or deindexed a number of game…
Gamers Push Back as Visa & Mastercard Face Gamer Fury Over Censorship
Gamers are protesting against Visa and Mastercard after Steam and itch.io pulled or hid thousands of games under pressure. The post Gamers Push Back as Visa & Mastercard Face Gamer Fury Over Censorship first appeared on GamerBraves. The post Gamers Push Back as Visa & Mastercard Face Gamer Fury Over Censorship appeared first on GamerBraves.
itch.io Shares Partial List of Themes Now Banned from Video Games Because of Payment Processors
Game site itch.io recently “deindexed” its NSFW content, pointing to payment processors and pressure from the pro-censorship group Collective Shout for the action. On July 28, itch.io gave an update on what’s going on, including a non-exhaustive list of subjects now banned. Partly explaining the situation in the update, the site noted, “itch.io is a small company, both in team size and in transaction volume, compared to a company like Steam. We …
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