There’s a worrying trend happening in online gaming where payment processors are starting to control what content can be sold on major platforms like Steam and Itch.io. This isn’t just a hit to stores, but a blow to the free market.
There should be no pressure from big financial companies like Visa, Mastercard, and PayPal. They shouldn’t police what’s on online gaming stores.
Payment Processors Are Acting Like the Police of Online Gaming Stores
The censorship kicked off when Steam changed its developer policy, adding a new rule that requires content to follow the guidelines set by its payment processors and banks, particularly concerning certain adult content. As a result, Steam removed many adult-themed games, including some that dealt with controversial topics like incest.
Valve, the company behind Steam, said these removals happened because payment processors warned them that certain games violated their rules. They acknowledged that losing payment options could hurt all purchases on Steam, which forced them to comply to protect their business. Historically, Valve has allowed legal content without much moderation, but they felt they had to change in this case.
Following Steam’s lead, Itch.io, a popular platform for indie games, decided to go even further by removing all adult content from its search results and browse pages without warning to developers. They said this was necessary to maintain their relationship with payment partners and keep processing transactions for creators. This broad removal affected many important and creative works, including award-winning games that fell victim to the sudden changes.
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The main reason for these actions seems to be pressure from advocacy groups like Collective Shout, which targets payment processors with complaints about adult content. These groups influence payment companies by arguing that such games normalize criminal behavior.
In response, payment processors had worries about fraud, legal issues, and damage to their reputation, especially in what they see as “high-risk” categories. It’s important to remember that Visa and Mastercard have been held responsible in the past for content on sites that only offer NSFW content, which gives them a basis for their stricter approaches.
Still, this is an example of censorship by powerful corporations that can act without accountability. This “financial deplatforming” impacts legitimate content and hurts small businesses and marginalized creators, leading to a form of discrimination.
This Is a Slippery Slope to Losing Independence in Gaming
This situation turns these platforms, which should support free expression, into places where content only exists if it’s deemed financially acceptable. Moreover, payment processors are unaccountable corporate entities that make content moderation decisions without being transparent.
Their policies are often vague, like saying they prohibit “certain kinds of adult-only content,” and these rules can change suddenly without any public discussion. This uncertainty forces game developers to censor themselves to avoid violating unclear rules, which limits creativity in an industry already struggling with monopolies.
Unlike governments, which ideally operate with oversight and in the public’s interest, these companies are imposing their own moral standards without accountability for the creators or consumers affected by their decisions. There’s also concern about the “slippery slope” this creates for future censorship, as payment processors aren’t experts in gaming and enforce their standards broadly.
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Currently, they focus on explicit adult content, particularly themes related to incest or dubious consent, but there’s a fear this could extend to other genres and sensitive topics. For example, activist groups in the past have tried to ban popular games like Grand Theft Auto V and Detroit: Become Human because of their violent or controversial themes. This could lead to a future where any game tackling difficult issues could be targeted, ultimately turning entertainment into boring or uncritical content.
While payment processors claim they are protecting themselves from legal issues, fraud, and reputational damage, this is often just a cover for moral policing. These companies have faced legal consequences for content on adult sites like Pornhub before, which shapes their approach.
This power mainly harms small businesses and marginalized creators, and those risks could be managed with higher fees instead of outright censorship of legal content. Age verification methods like credit cards already exist. The main issue is that these companies, acting as critical players in the digital economy, are positioning themselves as moral judges over free expression.
The growing control that payment processors have over what content is allowed on online gaming platforms is a major cause for concern when it comes to censorship and protecting artistic expression. Platforms like Steam and Itch.io depend on payment services from companies such as Visa and Mastercard, which has led to a system where content moderation is done reactively, putting financial security ahead of creative freedom.
This shift is not only harmful to developers, especially those working on niche or controversial subjects, but it also creates a worrying example for the future of gaming and digital content. As the rules for what counts as acceptable content get stricter, there is an urgent need for discussions about regulations that would make payment processors take responsibility and for exploring other payment options that could support a more open and varied gaming industry.
It’s important to make it clear that this is unacceptable. If no steps are taken, we could end up in a situation where creative expression is suppressed and only the most profitable content succeeds.
