Overview

• Itch.io removed NSFW games from its browse and search pages and shadowbanned thousands of adult-tagged titles after scrutiny from Visa, Mastercard, PayPal and other processors.
• The action follows Collective Shout’s open letter, which urged banks and card companies to cut off platforms hosting games depicting sexual violence and abuse.
• Itch.io is conducting a platform-wide content audit and will require creators to confirm that their games meet newly established compliance rules.
• Some pages will be permanently removed, with notable LGBTQ+ and award-winning works—such as IGF Grand Prize winner Consume Me—caught in the sweep.
• Observers warn that deferring content decisions to unclear financial-institution mandates risks disproportionate harm to independent and marginalized creators.