Itch.io Introduces New Marketplace Policy to Restrict Adult Games

This week, the indie gaming platform Itch.io announced that it has “deindexed” adult and not-safe-for-work games, effectively removing them from its browsing and search functionalities.

As per the company, this decision follows a campaign led by Collective Shout, an advocacy group that examines video games, rap music, and lingerie advertisements, targeting both Itch.io and Steam regarding the game “No Mercy,” which includes themes of rape and incest.

In an open letter to executives from PayPal, Mastercard, Visa, and other payment processors, Collective Shout argued that games that promote “men’s sexualized abuse and torture of women and girls directly undermine efforts to combat violence against women.”

The group further asserted, “Enabling payment transactions and profiting from these violent and unethical games seems contradictory to your corporate values and mission statements.”

This advocacy appears to have influenced the situation, as Steam declared earlier this month that it would ban games that “might violate the rules and standards set by Steam’s payment processors and associated banks, card networks, or internet service providers.”

Similarly, Itch.io stated, “To continue operating and supporting developers, we must prioritize our relationship with our payment partners and act quickly to ensure compliance.”

They also noted that “No Mercy” was “temporarily available on Itch.io before its ban in April,” and that “the situation escalated quickly,” forcing the company to “act swiftly to protect the platform’s core payment structure,” without prior notice to creators.

The company is currently conducting a “comprehensive audit” to ensure all games on the platform comply with “the requirements of our payment processors,” with adult content remaining deindexed until the audit is completed. After the audit, creators of NSFW games will need to confirm that their content adheres to the policies of their associated payment processors.

On social media, users voicing concerns about Itch.io’s decision highlighted that current terms dictate violations of adult content regulations are “permanent with no opportunity for appeal” and that any funds in an offending account “will not be available for payout.” As one developer pointed out, “If you violate the rules, we take all your money. Not just the money from that work, ALL your money from EVERYTHING you’ve ever made.”

This isn’t the first time payment companies have seemingly pressured online platforms regarding adult content; for instance, last year Gumroad cited limitations from payment processors when tightening its NSFW art policies, while OnlyFans also referred to “banking partners and payment providers” when it banned explicit content (a decision that was later reversed).

A Change.org petition with over 137,000 verified signatures criticizes Mastercard and Visa for their roles in these decisions. Among other requests, the petition urges the payment companies to “stop censoring legal fictional content that complies with the law and platform standards” and to “resist pressures from activist groups that instigate moral panic or misrepresent fiction as harmful.”