Business Steam rules updated to prohibit content that violates rules set forth by payment processors and banks - Valve's rules regarding what developers "shouldn't publish on Steam" have a new clause regarding standards set forth by payment processors.

https://automaton-media.com/en/news/steam-rules-updated-to-prohibit-content-that-violates-rules-set-forth-by-payment-processors-and-banks/

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Valve's rules regarding what developers "shouldn't publish on Steam" have a new clause regarding standards set forth by payment processors.

2025-07-16 17:17
Amber V



Valve has updated its rules regarding content that developers aren’t allowed to publish on Steam (as reported by Game*Spark [archive]). The “Rules and Guidelines” section of Steamworks Documentation now has an extra clause, and it suggests that publishers are required to comply with rules and standards set forth by various third parties involved in processing electronic payments. The rule seems to be predominantly related to adult content.

What you shouldn’t publish on Steam:
15. Content that may violate the rules and standards set forth by Steam’s payment processors and related card networks and banks, or internet network providers. In particular, certain kinds of adult only content.

Prior to the update, the list included 14 clauses, prohibiting things like hate speech, malware, sexual content depicting real people and any form of exploitation of children. The new 15th clause suggests that Steam may additionally have to crack down on specific types of adult content in response to the requirements of payment processors and banks. There are currently no specific examples of what this may entail.

Update (2025/07/15 at 18:30 JST): According to SteamDB [wayback], a large number of games has been removed from the platform in the past 16 hours. Judging rom the list, it appears “sex simulator” type games with keywords such as “incest” and “slavery” make up the majority. There are some confusing cases like the removal of the Ace Attorney-inspired investigation game Trails of Innocence, although this could be a coincidental deletion.

On a related note, various video game and manga hosting platforms in Japan have in recent years run into trouble with payment processors and credit card networks. Due to certain content on the platforms going against the (often undisclosed) rules and standards of third parties handling payments, the platforms ended up without support for credit card payment. This has led to loss of revenue and even the closure of platforms like Manga Library Z. It is possible that Steam’s new rule is a means to prevent such complications from arising, however, as the specific “rules and standards” of the payment processors are also unclear, publishers might need to be extra cautious with releasing their games on the platform.

Related articles: “It’s a security hole that endangers democracy itself.” NieR creator speaks out against payment processors pressuring Japanese adult content platforms

Visa Japan’s CEO says disabling card payment for legal adult content is “necessary to protect the brand”

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Niche Gamer: Steam updates rules to comply with payment processor censorship (archive)
Wccftech: Steam Publishing Guidelines Updated With Clause Prohibiting Content That Violates Payment Processor and Bank Rules (archive)

Rock Paper Shotgun: Valve change Steam's rules to let banks and credit card firms prohibit "certain kinds of adult only content" (archive)

In particular, this could lead to a stifling of games that are in any way non-conforming, particularly given the current climate of repression in Valve's home country, the USA. I know about the rule change thanks to Youtuber and self-described former game developer NoahFuel Gaming, who has posted on Bluesky about the potential fallout for projects the banks and financial corporations consider "adult" because they deviate from reactionary framings of sex and gender. As the Youtuber writes: "Queer content gets flagged as 'explicit' even when it's PG. A trans dev making a personal story? 'Too controversial.' A surreal queer VN? 'Sexualized.' Financial deplatforming in action."

GamesRadar: Steam now prohibits games that violate the "rules and standards" of payment processors, banks, and more, and users are worried it might affect more than just "certain kinds of adult-only content" (archive)

"Yeah... this is something that looks innocuous at first glance but it's a trojan horse," another believes. "LGBTQ+ has a habit of being mysteriously flagged as 'adult only.'" On ResetEra, similar points are being shared, as one writes: "Today it's porn games, tomorrow any game with LGBTQ+ content because it ends up labelled as 'adult.'"

Notebookcheck: Steam tightens adult content rules after pressure from payment giants (archive)

As spotted [archive] by TheGamer, this triggered a mini-purge according to the Steam Database, with many problematic games such as "Incest Tales", "Wolf on Rail", "Sex Village", "Slave of the Police Officer", and many more, being delisted from the storefront.

GamingOnLinux: Valve gets pressured by payment processors with a new rule for game devs and various adult games removed (archive)

 

[Fcret]

As long as it stops at adult games, based. I'm just not sure it will.

It definitely will not.

 

[Oilspill Battery]

But watch what happens when Hyperdimensional Neptunia gets kicked off steam, The Coffin of Andy and Leyley gets kicked off Steam and 95% of Anime games are kicked off Steam

The world when all anime games get kicked off steam:

Noooooo, not my heccin underage cannibalistic incest twins game!!!! Do you have any idea how specific that fetish is??!?!! Where else am I supposed to get now????!!!

Imagine being so brainbroken by pornography you can only masturbate to a fucking sentient xbox anymore holy shit.

 

[IndigoDownSuperEgoUp]

I fucking love big brother but not giving the rules so i can avoid breaking them is double plus ungood

 

[SSj_Ness (Yiffed)]

Nearly any anime game can be an adult game if you look at a specific manner of way. Unless you dress girls up like Lycoris Recoil or Frieren then you're likely getting into trouble by their standards.

That sounds like a positive direction for anime games to move in tbh, Frieren is great.

It definitely will not.

Maybe not.

The world when all anime games get kicked off steam:

Can't wait to only be allowed to play liberal propaganda games with shitty art.

 

[Banquet Meal]

filters are enabled by default. While I think porn games are an extreme example I'm sick of things designed for adults getting banned/removed for the sake of "protecting the children". Besides, with payment processors at the helm you know damned well this isn't going to be limited to sexually explicit material.

you are right...i am a middle aged woman, and ive had steam for 12-13 years now..not as long as some, but in that time, i dont think ive ever seen any pornographic material. and even if i had, like you said, not everything has to be for children. and it never really IS for children at the end of the day, it is about control.

 

[Do Not Touch Me Pls]

Can't wait to only be allowed to play liberal propaganda games with shitty art.

You mean publish and not play? Anyone can play you just don't find a platform for anything but hags and vanilla stuff because they don't care about context so you have to play very safe to be safe.

Besides, with payment processors at the helm you know damned well this isn't going to be limited to sexually explicit material.

Even during the time local governments enforced this sort of bullshit locally, they are really infamous for not stopping at the ultra violent sadistic crap. This is no different with Global Government using their own institutions to bypass international law.

 

[SSj_Ness (Yiffed)]

You mean publish and not play? Anyone can play you just don't find a platform for anything but hags and vanilla stuff because they don't care about context so you have to play very safe to be safe.

Also even during the time governments enforced this sort of bullshit locally, they are really infamous for not stopping at the ultra violent sadistic crap.

I'm not sure what you're trying to say.

 

[Oilspill Battery]

Can't wait to only be allowed to play liberal propaganda games with shitty art.

Putting liberal propaganda with shitty art vs. gangrape loli incest futa bdsm daddy twins doesn't quite have the effect you think it does.

 

[Do Not Touch Me Pls]

I'm not sure what you're trying to say.

There is a difference between play and publish and you're likely still going to see non-liberal, non-AAA games, but expect every other video game company to play very safe past this point. It's not a good thing especially when even the slightest indicator of fanservice or implication of incest means you're going to be deplatformed quick. Doesn't matter if the Incest is treated as a heinous crime or the fanservice is just girls in one piece swimsuits because they don't care.

 

[SSj_Ness (Yiffed)]

Putting liberal propaganda with shitty art vs. gangrape loli incest futa bdsm daddy twins doesn't quite have the effect you think it does.

Liberal propaganda designed to make people hate Whites, Christians, America, and love faggots, while also grooming kids into transgender ideology is a lot worse than some dumb, fringe cartoon sex games. In a perfect world you'd ban both though.

But regardless, you didn't say porn games anyway, you said anime games. No, anime and porn aren't synonymous.

 

[Moopy]

I don't really mind banning most "Adult" games on Steam because a good portion of them are AI generated and low effort anyway.

My concern is that they aren't going after all the leftist propaganda that AAA, AA, and indie developers have been just throwing at gamers for years now and instead are only targeting low hanging fruit like the aforementioned AI generated gooner games.

Which implies they aren't doing this for benevolent reasons if that wasn't already obvious.

 

[ScatmansWorld]

To be the one playing devils advocate here, it's very easy to say "They shouldn't have any of these TOS rules and just allow people to buy porn because it's legal. What's the big deal?" And then... whoops, that Patreon account was using pictures of someone who did not consent to them being posted. Whoops, that cartoon furry account was tracing over real world zoophilia porn. Whoops, that one porn actor that said they were 20 lied. Now you've just facilitated numerous illegal transactions which you can be held legally liable for. This is why any kind of porn is considered a high risk industry for payment processors. While I do think the TOS rules are like using a flamethrower to kill a single spider, it becomes very clear why these companies adopt the "better safe than sorry" approach in this instance, and I don't currently see any easy solutions to these risks.

 

[Pecano]

I don't particularly care if it was just steam deciding to pull these low effort shovelware games, but of course it's another bunch of fat, old faggot women who will use this retard power to attempt to ban or censor games that they deem misandry.
I saw the Detroit Become Human debacle and even though I think the game sucks, did these niggers even play the game? Literally the main woman character arc is about breaking the abusive dad's reigns on her and saving his "daughter" so they can have a better life.

 

[Frederica Bernkastel]

I'm curious as to why companies like JAST or GOG haven't said much about this. They publish adult games Steam won't even touch, but aren't making a fuss about this. They use VISA too. Is VISA just being selective or something? I did some research, and apparently Pornhub was banned in 2020 from VISA/Discover. How they got around it? They made their own payment processor that accepts the payments through a third party called Probiller. They also get around the ban by using advertisements to generate revenue which still accepts them too. And Pornhub expanded the usage of cryptocurrencies.

A lot of this is happening because these companies were sued in court for processing CSAM payments, and they're being overtly paranoid about doing business with anything porn aligned now.

 

[Jace on ice]

I saw the Detroit Become Human debacle and even though I think the game sucks, did these niggers even play the game? Literally the main woman character arc is about breaking the abusive dad's reigns on her and saving his "daughter" so they can have a better life.

The CEO of this Aussie feminist group is an absolute loon that thinks all sex consensual or not is inherently immoral and legally equivalent to rape.

Years ago I said those bizarre anti natalist subreddits should be shut down or the insanity would metastas into an incurable cancer and now look what fucking happened.

These people have actual power and authority now.

 

[Do Not Touch Me Pls]

Did these niggers even play the game? Literally the main woman character arc is about breaking the abusive dad's reigns on her and saving his "daughter" so they can have a better life.

Remember that ESRB is created because there was some government busybody who saw a video game with girls in nightgowns being ripped apart by vampires and didn't care about the context (you're supposed to save them from the vampires).

These people have actual power and authority now.

They always do. In the 90s, they used to treat Zombie shooters, Mortal Kombat or anything from Rockstar like contraband and arrest people for selling and playing them. They just have ways to attack an international audience instead of a local one by using a medium that gives them plausible deniability that they are behind it to begin with. And Australia (the place where the Feminist group was in) and Germany was responsible for some of the most bizarre censors.

 

[ZMOT]

if this means less gooning games filling up the shit sea on steam so be it

you have to literally opt-in with TWO checkboxes to see them in the first place. retards who don't know what they're doing are worse than any MUH PIXELS.

Is VISA just being selective or something?

take a guess, they have no trouble with real porn.

Germany was responsible for some of the most bizarre censors.

germany censors only itself, even the stuff that single court (you burgers know how that works) annoys valve with is then just hidden in germany, nowhere else.

ofc there's the argument publishers will self-censor because it's cheaper to only have one version, but the way the whole world got pussified over the last 10-20 years it hasn't been an issue for a long while.

 

[Do Not Touch Me Pls]

germany censors only itself, even the stuff that single court (you burgers know how that works) annoys valve with is then just hidden in germany, nowhere else.

I'm talking about the 90s to 2011 there where the EU doesn't have direct enforcement over the Internet yet so they can't perform large scale worldwide censorship like we have right now. So all of the members have to sort stuff out locally.

 

[The Mass Shooter Ron Soye]

To be the one playing devils advocate here, it's very easy to say "They shouldn't have any of these TOS rules and just allow people to buy porn because it's legal. What's the big deal?" And then... whoops, that Patreon account was using pictures of someone who did not consent to them being posted. Whoops, that cartoon furry account was tracing over real world zoophilia porn. Whoops, that one porn actor that said they were 20 lied. Now you've just facilitated numerous illegal transactions which you can be held legally liable for. This is why any kind of porn is considered a high risk industry for payment processors.

I find it hard to believe that the payment processors who are so good at throwing their weight around and maintaining their oligopoly are actually threatened by processing the "bad" (and non-terrorist) payments. Part of the reason that sequestering the porn games to a crypto method within Steam wouldn't matter is that the processor might not know what games are being purchased in an individual transaction in the first place. I believe that's the case with Amazon purchases, you just get a gobbledygook transaction identifier. I might look into this but I don't buy games often so I'd have to dig deep.

If they have no actual knowledge of supposed illegal activity, they should have no liability. We've seen cases like Facebook leaving CP up on their platform for weeks without handling it after being pestered about it, only removing it after a former FBI agent contacted them. That was just normal for them. I don't think traced drawings or ID mishaps are going to result in liability, or at least that can wait until after someone identifies it and reports it. It could cause problems for an individual "accidentally" having a bad apple in their erotica collection, but not these big corporations with Section 230, other protections, and lawyers on staff. IIRC Pornhub's problem was that they were fully aware of underage and rape videos and were joking about it internally.

The payment processors are much further removed from the content than the platforms hosting it are. They aren't going to be subject to the new TAKE IT DOWN Act. On MATI, I think Null proposed something like the payment processors want to avoid the bad publicity (driven by Collective Shout in this case) in order to prevent political support building for NEW legislation. Most people aren't going to think of payment processors as being responsible for a fraction of a mainstream platform like Steam. Maybe single sites that are deemed totally objectionable, like "Fluffy Community", but if it's not straight up illegal content, millions of people aren't going to hear about it.

So I want to see some leaks out of the payment whores to see what's going on. This case is cut and dry, they reacted to a publicity campaign. But for some of these smaller sites the decision making seems proactive. Or maybe as little as a single random complaint is enough to initiate an investigation and get a site/retailer blacklisted.

 

[Bloodrage]

Collective Shout: Open letter to payment processors profiting from rape, incest + child abuse games on Steam (archive)

Members of this group has apparently been protecting pedophiles.

These are the people that want to dictate what you can and can't spend money on