Overview
- Valve classified the vampire RPG Nighthawks as 'Adults Only' on Sunday, September 13, which excluded it from default Steam searches and led to delisting in some countries.
- Wadjet Eye Games and developer Richard Cobbett said the game's sexual content is mild, mostly text or fade-to-black romance scenes, and they publicly disputed the Adults Only designation.
- The publisher appealed and contacted Valve for review, and the company removed the Adults Only restriction by Tuesday, September 15, restoring the game's store visibility ahead of its planned September 22 release.
- An Adults Only label on Steam creates practical barriers by requiring age verification to view listings, can force credit-card checks in markets like Australia, and can cause outright delisting in countries such as Germany, reducing discoverability and sales potential.
- Industry reporting places this case in a wider pattern after Valve tightened adult-content rules, including a payment-processor linked rule and recent indie reviews that have delayed or flagged other games, leaving developers worried about inconsistent enforcement and opaque standards.