Mastercard denies involvement in the removal of adult games from Steam and Itch.io, but Valve claims the credit card giant’s rules indirectly forced their hand.
Quick Summary TLDR:
- Mastercard denies ordering the removal of adult games from platforms like Steam and Itch.io.
- Valve says payment processors cited Mastercard’s own rules as justification for pressuring game bans.
- Mastercard Rule 5.12.7 restricts transactions that could harm its brand, including offensive adult content.
- Game developers and platforms are caught in limbo, facing vague policies and unclear enforcement.
What Happened?
After a wave of adult games were taken down from Steam and hidden on Itch.io, Mastercard issued a statement denying it had any role in pressuring these platforms. But Valve, which owns Steam, says the decision came after payment processors pointed to a specific Mastercard rule that flagged such content as risky and potentially brand-damaging.
Mastercard Denies Responsibility
Mastercard responded to the controversy by stating it had not evaluated or banned any games and had not requested platforms to impose restrictions. “We allow all lawful purchases on our network,” Mastercard said, while emphasizing that merchants are required to ensure its cards are not used for unlawful or illegal adult content.
The company clarified that it does not directly process transactions or interact with merchants like Valve. Instead, Mastercard provides the infrastructure that enables banks and other financial entities to process payments.
Valve Points to Indirect Pressure
Despite Mastercard’s denial, Valve provided a very different narrative. In a statement to PC Gamer and other media outlets, Valve revealed that it had tried to engage with Mastercard directly over the issue but received no response. Instead, Mastercard communicated with acquiring banks and payment processors, who then relayed policy concerns to Valve.
According to Valve, those intermediaries rejected Steam’s existing policy on adult content, citing Mastercard’s Rule 5.12.7, which prohibits “illegal or brand-damaging transactions.” That rule includes restrictions on content that is “patently offensive and lacks serious artistic value,” including depictions of nonconsensual sex, exploitation of minors, mutilation, and bestiality.
Valve emphasized that their platform has operated under a clear adult content policy since 2018, only allowing games that are legal to distribute. But payment partners still flagged some titles as problematic, indicating a risk to the Mastercard brand.
Itch.io Faces Similar Restrictions
The indie-focused game platform Itch.io followed a similar path. It temporarily removed adult games from search and browse visibility, citing ongoing audits and concerns from its payment processors, mainly Stripe and Paypal. Stripe clarified that it could not support explicit content due to concerns from banking partners, many of whom also process Mastercard and Visa transactions.
Following criticism from users and developers, Itch.io began reindexing some free NSFW titles but left paid adult content in limbo pending negotiations.
Advocacy Groups and the Origins of the Crackdown
This chain reaction appears to stem from pressure by advocacy organizations like Collective Shout, which called out Mastercard and others for enabling the sale of games they claim depict rape, incest, and child exploitation. Their campaign prompted letters to major financial firms, followed by swift policy changes from game platforms wary of reputational or financial damage.
SQ Magazine Takeaway
Honestly, this whole mess is a masterclass in how corporate influence can reshape creative platforms without a single direct order. Mastercard says they did not ban any games. That might be technically true, but their rules clearly set the tone, and everyone else moved to avoid trouble. Valve and Itch.io are reacting to pressure from the middlemen, who are in turn worried about Mastercard’s brand standards. And who suffers? Small devs who made legal, adult-themed games with no warning that their livelihoods might vanish overnight. This isn’t just a policy issue. It’s a transparency problem.
