Valve`s popular PC gaming platform, Steam, is likely to see a reduction in its adult content following a significant update to its guidelines this week.
In a recent quiet update to its terms of service, Valve added a clause stating that “content which may violate the rules and standards set forth by Steam’s payment processors and associated card networks, banks, or internet service providers, particularly certain types of adult-only content,” should not be published on the platform.
This move, which grants banks and similar financial institutions an unprecedented degree of control over content published on Steam, appears to be an attempt to appease Valve`s payment processors. While relatively new to the gaming industry, this tactic has previously been employed against pornography and sex work platforms like OnlyFans.
These changes to Steam`s guidelines have already resulted in the removal of several games from the store. Responding to GamingOnLinux, Valve stated they had been notified of certain games violating the new standards set by their payment processors. The company explained: “As a result, we are retiring those games from being sold on the Steam Store, because loss of payment methods would prevent customers from being able to purchase other titles and game content on Steam. We are directly notifying developers of these games, and issuing app credits should they have another game they’d like to distribute on Steam in the future.”
This policy shift coincides with a broader crackdown by multiple digital storefronts, including Nintendo eShop and Steam, on a flood of content recently dubbed `slop.` Many of these titles, often featuring adult (sexual) content, conspicuously infringe upon the aesthetics and naming conventions of popular existing games and have appeared in large numbers over recent months. It is widely believed that these games are predominantly created by developers leveraging generative AI and large language models to rapidly produce content masquerading as established titles.
However, the wording in the updated guidelines leaves many aspects unclear and open to potentially problematic interpretations. For instance, it is never specified which “kinds of adult-only content” are now impermissible on Steam. Furthermore, while the updated rules emphasize adherence to new standards enforced by payment processors, the exact nature of these company standards remains undefined.
Despite many of these `slop` games prominently featuring sexual content, numerous developers also create high-quality adult-only games that explore similar themes. Following these changes, many developers now face the risk of penalties or removal from one of the largest digital gaming storefronts.
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