Update 17/07/25 21:44 UTC - Valve press replied to GamingOnLinux with this statement:
We were recently notified that certain games on Steam may violate the rules and standards set forth by our payment processors and their related card networks and banks. 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.
Valve have added a new rule to the Onboarding guide for game developers, noting that payment processors get a say in what stays on Steam.
Recently, a number of people noticed and posted across various Reddits that PayPal has been unavailable for days, so it's possible this is all coming from PayPal but nothing has been confirmed on that.
On Steamworks the new rule is noted under the "What you shouldn’t publish on Steam" heading:
Content that may violate the rules and standards set forth by Steam’s payment processors and related card networks and banks, or internet network providers. In particular, certain kinds of adult only content.
SteamDB noticed this, and also noted in a Bluesky thread how numerous incest games had been removed:
That's a very specific type of game removal but could only be the beginning of a wider crackdown on the types of adult content allowed on Steam.
Valve certainly aren't the first to have this happen. Patreon has also seen issues with payment processors like PayPal in the past with adult content. So, it's not really a surprise that this has happened, the surprise to me is that payment processors haven't come down on Valve sooner for all these types of games because they really don't like their services being used for it. It's not like Valve have a choice in this either, they could fight it but it would probably be a lot more costly than it's worth to them.
I've asked Valve to provide a comment and will update if they reply but it's unlikely they will in cases like this.
What are your thoughts on this?
Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
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Incest? I find it repulsive, I have trouble just thinking of it. Though if the involved parties are all adult and in their mind, they can do whatever they want. And possibly not let me know about it.
Companies forcing censorship and morals (which can be aligned with mine in this case, but not in other cases)? Very annoying and disturbing. And dangerous as well.
I'm open to hear from any dude into police and sexual crime fight why censoring this kind of stuff would be beneficial, it's completely possible that there are good reasons that can't see.
Yet the main take away in my case, is that next time the government pushes for digital payments over physical bills, I will have to take the side of the physical bills. I always thought it would be better overall if all could be traced and reconstructed. But if private organizations can decide how people spend or spend not their digital money, physical bills all the time. Until some EU initiative blocks this shit that is (obviously it won't be a fight we take on the incest hill).
F.Ultra 20 hours ago
that dont work because you can put money into your steam wallet using any payment provider, so they wont accept it eitherway.
Plus that these providers will simply refuse to do business with you if your store in any way shape or form sells these items. They are not interested in "you cannot pay with VISA to buy this", they are interested in "any store that uses VISA is not allowed to sell X".
We wome how allow game of thrones with no problems. but harmless fantasy, albeit gross, is some how the worst thing that must be corrected?
https://www.gamingonlinux.com/2025/07/valve-gets-pressured-by-payment-processors-with-a-new-rule-for-game-devs-and-various-adult-games-removed/?comment_id=281154
that is called a survalence system.
https://www.eff.org/document/age-verification-harms-users-all-ages
here is why
"Mainstream TV series such as Euphoria (depicting characters represented as children having sex) and Game of Thrones (representing characters engaged in incest) are routinely passed with MA 15+ or R 18+ ratings… But while mainstream Hollywood TV and movies can be classified quite leniently, it is no exaggeration to say that if a person enters the country with Japanese cartoons that depict exactly the same subjects as Euphoria or Game of Thrones, they stand a very real risk of being arrested….
The rush to criminalize fictional content - from AI-generated images to erotic novels - promises safety but delivers censorship, punishing creators while diverting resources from real victims. Policymakers, swayed by unproven claims that niche fantasies will "flood" the mainstream or "convert" viewers into predators, employ linguistic shifts that equate offensive art with heinous crimes. Yet, as science shows, porn consumption reflects pre-existing interests, not new ones, and banning fictional outlets will only push consumers into darker corners and obstruct harm reduction.
****The conflation of art and abuse isn't just misguided - it's harmful. With fewer than 4% of real sexual assaults leading to convictions and only 3.5% of CSAM reports investigated, survivors are sidelined as authorities pursue victimless prosecutions. Marginalized creators - often survivors themselves, along with LGBTQ+ artists, young people, and women - face censorship or prosecution for works that challenge norms, while honest discourse is stifled by stigmatizing attacks. The solution lies not in erasing uncomfortable content but in embracing nuance: prioritizing real victims, empowering creators, and trusting professionals to prevent abuse without sacrificing liberty.*****
@neolith that does not happen for guns.
On the topic of censorship via payment processors: they shouldn’t have this power, nor should the cloud hosts or the dns and name registrars. But they do and as a faceless blob they will cave to any pressure. There is definitely content that should be illegal, however it shouldn’t be up to payment processors at all.
Last edited by johnny-linux on 19 Jul 2025 at 5:28 pm UTC
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