Digital indie video game storefront itch.io has obscured mature, “not safe for work” (NSFW) content from its “Browse” and “Search” pages, making it the latest in a growing line of video game distributors suppressing mature content sales.
The brand’s decision to “deindex” adult-oriented downloads — the act of removing webpages from search engine indices, making them difficult to find — comes alongside other platforms’ decisions to fold under mounting pressure from payment processors.
On Thursday, July 24, itch.io creator leafo announced the move via a post titled “Update on NSFW content.” “We have ‘deindexed’ all adult NSFW content from our browse and search pages,” the post reads. “We understand this action is sudden and disruptive, and we are truly sorry for the frustration and confusion caused by this change.”
The rest of itch.io’s transparent update says a campaign helmed by Australian activist group Collective Shout against sensitive content industry-wide led to pressure from credit card processors:
“Recently, we came under scrutiny from our payment processors regarding the nature of some content hosted on itch.io. Due to a game titled No Mercy, which was temporarily available on itch.io before being banned back in April, the organization Collective Shout launched a campaign against Steam and itch.io, directing concerns to our payment processors about the nature of certain content found on both platforms.
“Our ability to process payments is critical for every creator on our platform. To ensure that we can continue to operate and provide a marketplace for all developers, we must prioritize our relationship with our payment partners and take immediate steps towards compliance.
“This is a time critical moment for itch.io. The situation developed rapidly, and we had to act urgently to protect the platform’s core payment infrastructure. Unfortunately, this meant it was not realistic to provide creators with advance notice before making this change. We know this is not ideal, and we apologize for the abruptness of this change.
“We are currently conducting a comprehensive audit of content to ensure we can meet the requirements of our payment processors. Pages will remain deindexed as we complete our review. Once this review is complete, we will introduce new compliance measures. For NSFW pages, this will include a new step where creators must confirm that their content is allowable under the policies of the respective payment processors linked to their account.”
On July 11, the activist group penned an open letter to “payment processors profiting from rape, incest + child abuse games on Steam,” specifically targeting brand leaders at Visa, Mastercard, Discover, Japan Credit Bureau (JCB), and PayPal. The group’s message urges brands to “cease processing payments on gaming platforms which host rape, incest and child sexual abuse-themed games.”
The central target of Collective Shout’s content removal campaign, an explicit title called No Mercy from studio Zerat Games. The controversial game was banned in three countries — Australia, Canada, and the U.K. — and was pulled from Steam just days after launch following objections regarding its depictions of extreme sexual violence.
itch.io isn’t Collective Shout’s first target; the indie game platform’s decision to abide comes not long after Valve’s popular digital game storefront, Steam, launched new, more puritanical publishing guidelines. Valve didn’t mince words in its revised protocol, either, specifically rejecting “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.”
Unlike itch.io, Valve has not named Collective Shout’s campaign as a contributing factor behind its latest decisions, though one brand spokesperson told Eurogamer that pressure from payment processors did, in fact, influence the site’s new guidelines. “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,” Valve told Eurogamer. “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.”
As a result of platforms’ new and unforgiving content policies, other games may be subject to removal. According to PC Gamer, these updates have reportedly impacted award-winning indie darling Consume Me, a coming-of-age tale that took home the Seumas McNally Grand Prize and Nuovo Award at this year’s Independent Game Festival.
While players rarely lament the removal of gruesome, grotesque violence simulators like No Mercy, I’d argue that a zero-tolerance policy isn’t a sustainable, long-term response to problematic content, either. Rather than going full scorched-earth and risk derailing unaffiliated and unproblematic projects, platforms would benefit from implementing more rigorous pre-launch screening processes. In addition to fielding objectionable content, more deliberate assessments could help platforms curb the increasing prevalence of near-unplayable “AI slop” saturating online storefronts.
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A lifelong gamer raised on classic titles like Crash Bandicoot, Spyro, and Croc, Stephanie brings her expertise of gaming and pop culture to deliver unique, refreshing views on the world of video games, complete with references to absurd and obscure media.
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