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/

https://archive.ph/NXq04

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”

---

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)

 

[psycho motor retard]

The fact that this is picking up attention is making me worried for the short term. I expect to see many more groups and individuals try their hand at getting things taken down if it's really this easy.

Fun fact regarding that: Virtua Fighter is in some places the only fighting game series of note that receives a Mature/16+ or equivalent rating. The reason? Shun Di is a drunken master who powers up and gets new moves the more he drinks. That's it, that's why Virtua Fighter has a much more sensible Teen/12+ rating with CERO or ESRB (Japanese and American) while the European PEGI and Australian ACB rates it M/16+.

Was about to call bullshit on this, but apparently the drunken master character in SF6 drinks "herbal tea" so it gets a pass.

 

[Kiwisee]

I just learned that this rape game was apparently an asset flip on top of that.

Y’know, if Steam just said they were cracking down on asset flips, there likely wouldn’t have been any controversy from the usual suspects.

 

[WuTangClan2299]

I just learned that this rape game was apparently an asset flip on top of that.

Y’know, if Steam just said they were cracking down on asset flips, there likely wouldn’t have been any controversy from the usual suspects.

A lot of the games taken down are either shitty low quality asset flipped 3DCG renpy trash made by some slavs or shitty RPGmaker slop made with ai art and has MTL English text made by some chinks. In both causes these games are lower than shovelware and shouldn't have made it on steam to begin with. When I first heard about the bans I thought Steam was cracking down on that trash but come to learn actually games and visual novels got hit as well.

 

[Do Not Touch Me Pls]

A lot of the games taken down are either shitty low quality asset flipped 3DCG renpy trash made by some slavs or shitty RPGmaker slop made with ai art and has MTL English text made by some chinks. In both causes these games are lower than shovelware and shouldn't have made it on steam to begin with. When I first heard about the bans I thought Steam was cracking down on that trash but come to learn actually games and visual novels got hit as well.

Removing the slop is how they get plausible deniability and let you allow them advance. Also what kind of actual games and visual novels got hit? Is there a list on them?

(Attempted hits don't count; I want to see legitimate games from legit companies getting hit)

 

[Terrifik]

Removing the slop is how they get plausible deniability and let you allow them advance. Also what kind of actual games and visual novels got hit? Is there a list on them?

(Attempted hits don't count; I want to see legitimate games from legit companies getting hit)

first page picture
reason people know is steams immune system - SteamDB .-metric info with data.

 

[Do Not Touch Me Pls]

first page picture

The ones on the pic were slop and not real articles right? There's way more games being removed and I want to see how many actual games and VNs got removed.

Also I don't know much about the H-Game industry to identify which ones were legit and which ones were AI generated shovelware.

 

[Terrifik]

Those were slop and not the real articles right? There's way more games being removed and I want to see how many actual games and VNs got removed.

yep welcome the lunacy why we got day 0 rule
it was mix of both to force steam have payment procossor for think of the children.

Also I don't know much about the H-Game industry to identify which ones were legit and which ones were AI generated shovelware.

and your'e not suppose to .its their start the fire.

 

[Slap47]

Gulp. Fedop confirmed

It's not really a Fedop. Radical feminists are at their ascendancy in Asian and Anglo countries. In Korea they have banned porn and in the UK they have even made gains against trans issues.

 

[Do Not Touch Me Pls]

It's not really a Fedop. Radical feminists are at their ascendancy in Asian and Anglo countries. In Korea they have banned porn and in the UK they have even made gains against trans issues.

It's a different case this time. If you really read the text on the picture above you'll notice that the people listed are government officials. This is saying a lot. And that's not getting into the range of games removed -- all of them which are firm violations of Australian Censorship rules.