A wave of removals hit the Steam Store, recently, as Valve revealed certain types of video games would no longer be sold on their storefront. A glance at SteamDB shows that the affected games are of a very particular variety featuring adult content. Valve issued a statement on the delistings, explaining that they were due to potential violations with "payment processors", and in order to continue taking payments for non-adult content, they would be removing those title that do not meet "rules and standards" put forth by companies such as Mastercard, PayPal, etc.

We were recently notified that certain games on Steam may violate the rules and standards set forth by our payment processors and their related card networks and banks. As a result, we are retiring those games from being sold on the Steam Store, because loss of payment methods would prevent customers from being able to purchase other titles and game content on Steam.

We are directly notifying developers of these games, and issuing app credits should they have another game they’d like to distribute on Steam in the future.

While all of the affected games are of a controversial variety, it has unnerved some, as the newly implemented "rules and standards" that led to the delisting of these titles is vague.

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.

Source

 

[Ryccardo]

Obligatory "pirating blowing up a bank is always morally correct defending free speech"

 

[RustInPeace]

Payment processors being puritanical, what else is new?

 

[Maximo101]

Adult games like Grand Theft Auto??

 

[tech3475]

Surprised they don't just require such games to be bought via steam gift vouchers.

 

[retrospect]

Adult games like Grand Theft Auto??

No, it means "games" with messed up, lewd premises.

 

[Dark_Ansem]

Like what

 

[tpax]

Payment processors dictating Valve what to do.

Reveal of VALVE PAY® incoming.

 

[samcambolt270]

No, it means "games" with messed up, lewd premises.

Actually, it means "whatever games we feel like." They pick the most heinous examples first in a "won't somebody think of the children" move so they get away with it. They then get to say anyone saying its wrong to do that is defending heinous content and are horrible people, then once they've gotten away with it, they have precedent to take down whatever they want. Games with different political views? Games with homosexuals or any kind of lgbt content? Games with any kind of violence? All on the table because they already got away with it once.

 

[The Catboy]

This is why I am against Puritans. They will stop at nothing once they start their purity spiral. It starts with porn games, and it will go to games like GTA next. This has been their goal for decades now, and people are bending the knee

 

[ftjiso]

i dont buy those type of games but they shouldn't dictate on what people should use their own money they spent on.

BTW i tried buying a rpg game on paypal through steam. not nsfw or anything like that and it looks like not only me but there's a tons of people are saying paypal isn't working for them. not sure if this is related to this issue

 

[NinStar]

I just checked the list, some of those games are literally solely designed around torture, incest and/or rape. It makes total sense to me that no payment processor would want to be involved in that kind of stuff.

 

[Mayo1990]

Checked all the lewd ones I have in my library and none of them has been delisted. What games are actually affected by this? Genuine question.

 

[Mama Dizzys]

there's an argument here to be made for "you don't own your steam games"

but it doesnt really seem in this instance that its actually doing harm to anyone except cash grab porn game devs

 

[Chary]

Checked all the lewd ones I have in my library and none of them has been delisted. What games are actually affected by this? Genuine question.

SteamDB "retired" will show you most of them.

 

[yakuku]

Tons of themes with rape and incest being delisted. Whether you agree with them being removed or not, It's Steam's fault for adding these types of games in the first place. This group called Collective Shout was the reason why it happened. They wanted to remove Detroit Became Human. It will not stop with just lewd or porn games.

 

[mister_smang_n_watch]

They're all mostly just shovelware, copy/paste, low effort fetish games. Should've been removed for being dogshit.

Only worrying thing is once these groups pressuring payment companies have run out of anime fetishes to target, what's next? Don't like the idea of of my card provider dictating what I can and can't buy.

 

[yankii]

Can't wait for all M-rated games to be delisted

Own your games, people.

 

[KingVamp]

Unless there are illegal stuff, they shouldn't be able to do this and I hope it gets address someday.

I just checked the list, some of those games are literally solely designed around torture, incest and/or rape. It makes total sense to me that no payment processor would want to be involved in that kind of stuff.

Then don't be a payment processor. The solution isn't censorship.

 

[retrospect]

Actually, it means "whatever games we feel like." They pick the most heinous examples first in a "won't somebody think of the children" move so they get away with it. They then get to say anyone saying its wrong to do that is defending heinous content and are horrible people, then once they've gotten away with it, they have precedent to take down whatever they want. Games with different political views? Games with homosexuals or any kind of lgbt content? Games with any kind of violence? All on the table because they already got away with it once.

You're absolutely right. Valve should not tolerate this. Thank you.