Overview

• Steam has upheld a broad ban on adult content tied to payment-processor rules and continues to remove games under opaque guidelines.
• Itch.io deindexed over 20,000 NSFW and LGBTQ+ titles pending a comprehensive audit and is actively exploring partnerships with alternative payment processors.
• The IGDA issued a July 29 statement demanding clear enforcement criteria, structured appeal processes and restoration pathways for lawfully created games.
• Independent and marginalized creators report abrupt delistings without warning or recourse, spurring petitions and coordinated campaigns targeting Visa, Mastercard and other processors.
• Collective Shout’s July 11 open letter to major payment networks triggered the crackdown and highlighted the growing influence of financial intermediaries on digital storefronts.