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”

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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)

 

[ZazietheBeast]

The Patriot Act has done one hell of a job to get the Bankerbergs one hell of a high for an overreach. We need another Andrew Jackson.



Fun fact, gutting the first national bank is probably the biggest reason why Andrew Jackson gets vilified alot despite the fact he was the founder of the Democrat party. So he gets demonized big-time for the Trail of Tears despite Indians (Tomahawk not Jeet) were doing bang-up Raider impressions on the rest of the populace.

 

[Hweeks]

Wow, I have porn games blocked on my steam so I had no idea how degenerate they have gotten these days. Good for Valve.

 

[Lord of the Large Pants]

Gee banks, thank you for making the decision on my behalf of what kinds of degeneracy I'm allowed to participate in. How would the world survive without you acting as the morality police?

 

[The Mass Shooter Ron Soye]

Wow, I have porn games blocked on my steam so I had no idea how degenerate they have gotten these days. Good for Valve.

Gee banks, thank you for making the decision on my behalf of what kinds of degeneracy I'm allowed to participate in. How would the world survive without you acting as the morality police?

The Duality of Man this early.

 

[Bland Crumbs]

If Valve will not push back or cannot push back there is really no hope.

I have porn games blocked as well not because I am prudish but because I was tired of seeing low effort garbage porn(there is enough AAA garbage to ignore) but what is next? Payment processors decide that a game is too violent? That a sports game should have trans representation?

Trump should earn some goodwill back by kneecapping payment processors.

 

[Lady Adjani]

counter-strike cases that are getting kids hooked on gamba

*crickets*

incest / nudity in an 18+ rated game targeted at adults

fuck Visa / Mastercard

 

[WelperHelper99]

There are currently no specific examples of what this may entail.

So don't piss off the payment processors, but we won't tell you how not to. Just lol. Fuck the credit cards.

 

[One Angry Computer]

Someone please do a little trolling and nuke Mastercard and Visa's HQ (in Minecraft). They deserve to be griefed into nothingness.

Anyways, what is your opinion in crypto as an alternative for payment processing? Because fuck credit/debit cards.

 

[BatterHomes&Gardens]

Wow, I have porn games blocked on my steam so I had no idea how degenerate they have gotten these days. Good for Valve.

How?

I really hate the idea of banks regulating this kind of stuff but at the end of the day Steam is for underage children. Just checking out the upcoming games this shit comes up. It's fucking gross. That's number 3 on the 'Popular Upcoming' list. WTF

 

[World Famous Quasi Payer]

Anyways, what is your opinion in crypto as an alternative for payment processing?

Numbers on a scene don't translate to food on the table. At some point tangible physical assets have to be produced/exchanged. At which point the government will kick down your door at two at night to drag you away for being a wrong thinker.

 

[GunCar Gary]

at the end of the day Steam is for underage children

the internet in general is not for children. youtube and steam are not babysitters

 

[CIS White Droid]

Steam already has the built in ability to filter out adult/explicit material and, if I'm not mistaken, said 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.

 

[Pomegrenade]

Time to start the clock on how long will it be before payment processors abuses Steam to remove a game that goes against their morally bankrupt ethos.

 

[The Mass Shooter Ron Soye]

Time to start the clock on how long will it be before payment processors abuses Steam to remove a game that goes against their morally bankrupt ethos.

Fursan is the true test: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1714420/Fursan_alAqsa_The_Knights_of_the_AlAqsa_Mosque/

 

[Kuritan Deplorable]

If money is free speech then payment processers should not be permitted to restrict its exchange, simple as. I'd rather give Visa and Mastercard additional protections against liability for being involved in moving criminal money (their usual citations for why they ultimately need the power to restrict trade) than to have everyone punished with inability to use their money the way they want.

If you're brave enough to put fucked up gooner games on your steam account, I say go right ahead, they're pink triangling themselves for the rest of us to know who to avoid, I can only complain so much.

 

[MisterListerTheBlister]

Payment processors would gladly take down millions of unrealistic drawings before actually fighting against the jewish revenge porn industry. The one thing I do agree in all this though is that all the porno/"thirst trap" shit should just fuck off in its own hidden category, I don't wanna see no fucking Futa Fix: Dine and Dash in my recommends just because I played a slightly raunchy anime game once.

 

[Slap47]

If money is free speech then payment processers should not be permitted to restrict its exchange, simple as. I'd rather give Visa and Mastercard additional protections against liability for being involved in moving criminal money (their usual citations for why they ultimately need the power to restrict trade) than to have everyone punished with inability to use their money the way they want.

If you're brave enough to put fucked up gooner games on your steam account, I say go right ahead, they're pink triangling themselves for the rest of us to know who to avoid, I can only complain so much.

It would be funny if Citizens United was the tool used to crush the payment processors.

 

[Slap47]

How?

I really hate the idea of banks regulating this kind of stuff but at the end of the day Steam is for underage children. Just checking out the upcoming games this shit comes up. It's fucking gross. That's number 3 on the 'Popular Upcoming' list. WTF


View attachment 7650359

You have to go into several menus to activate NSFW showing up on the store page so you have likely done this to yourself.

 

[Safir]

You have to go into several menus to activate NSFW showing up on the store page so you have likely done this to yourself.

Mature Content Filtering and tags are different things. I don't remember what Mature Content setting a new account starts with, but I'm sure that when I set up my tags, no tags were blocked by default.

I swapped it around: I don't block any "mature content" in games but block the tags "Hentai", "Furry" and "NSFW". This gets rid of most coomer games. Unfortunately, I still see loli shit in the points store for games I don't own.