Recently, digital platforms Steam and Itch.io have removed adult games and those with “adult” themes from their catalogs. This occurred due to pressure from companies that process payments for these platforms. After a prolonged silence, Mastercard issued a statement, asserting that its actions are based on the “rule of law” and are not an attempt at censorship.
“Mastercard has not evaluated any games or mandated restrictions on the activities of game developer sites or platforms, contrary to media reports and allegations,” the company stated. “Our payment network operates in accordance with the law. Simply put, we permit all lawful purchases within our network. Simultaneously, we require merchants to have appropriate control mechanisms in place to prevent Mastercard cards from being used for illegal purchases, including illicit adult content.”
It`s important to note that there is no evidence the removed games contained illegal content. For a more detailed examination of the situation, Wired and CBC have provided detailed timelines. Visa also issued a pre-written response to complaints (via Polygon), stating it does not aim to “make moral judgments on legal purchases” and also adheres strictly to the law.
The pressure from payment processors apparently resulted from a campaign by the Australian anti-pornography lobbying group Collective Shout, which has claimed responsibility for these actions. Collective Shout released an open letter alleging that Steam and the indie game store Itch.io hosted games with content depicting “rape, incest, and child sexual abuse.”
The group also stated that it sent approximately 1,000 emails and made calls to payment processors, urging them to threaten to withdraw support from these platforms unless the games were removed. However, this has resulted in the delisting of any game with vaguely defined “adult” content. Developers claim that games with LGBTQ+ themes or content have also been caught in this purge, and many criticize payment processors for arbitrarily imposing their moral standards (and those of Collective Shout) on what adults are permitted to buy and play.
In recent weeks, after payment processors ceased supporting payments for adult content, several sites were forced to take drastic measures. Steam began purging content from its storefront and made vague updates to its terms of service, while Itch.io also started de-indexing content from its site.
Earlier this week, Itch.io began “re-indexing” adult and “not safe for work” content, adding that it is still engaged in ongoing discussions with payment processors. Itch.io has long utilized Stripe as its payment processor, but this financial service will no longer support the sale of adult content on Itch.io that fits the description of “content designed for sexual gratification.”
The past few weeks have seen significant pushback against payment companies, as game organizations, developers, and artists have united. The International Game Developers Association (IGDA) has called for “greater transparency and fairness” in the moderation of adult games, while other groups have urged people to pressure the two payment processors and inundate them with calls to register their concerns about censorship.