Overview

• Valve added a clause on July 16 to Steam’s publishing rules barring content that violates payment processor and bank standards, specifically flagging certain adult-only material.
• SteamDB tracking shows dozens of incest-themed adult games were swiftly delisted after the guideline update, although Valve has not detailed the criteria used for removals.
• Developers face uncertainty over compliance because the new clause offers no definitions or examples of the payment processor rules it references.
• Users warn the policy hands moral authority over Steam’s catalog to financial institutions, raising fears that queer and nonconforming works could be disproportionately targeted.
• Payment networks like Mastercard and Visa set precedent by blocking Pornhub in 2020 and imposing merchant certification rules in 2021, illustrating how banks shape online content policies.