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.


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

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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)
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Sad but right choice.. More companies really need to realize that PC is an OPEN platform, only these accursed online shops can actually gatekeep directly! It's time to ditch these totally redundant and spinless gatekeepers!

We know why this game was targeted either way.
 
Automaton West: New Japanese law meant to ensure fair competition for mobile game developers gets neutralized by Apple’s new Japan-specific fees (archive)
Japan's Mobile Software Competition Act (MSCA) has forced Apple to open its OS to third-party app stores, but the company has responded with rules that seemingly undercut the benefits.

 
Automaton West: New Japanese law meant to ensure fair competition for mobile game developers gets neutralized by Apple’s new Japan-specific fees (archive)


Classic apple never change.
 
Automaton West: New Japanese law meant to ensure fair competition for mobile game developers gets neutralized by Apple’s new Japan-specific fees (archive)



Fuck asshole but lol they never give up playing control freaks.

Good, hope more do this. I just wish efforts were targeted at ways everyone can actually use to get around big card censorship, not just Japanese and Asians countries.
 
404 Media: Github Banned a Ton of Adult Game Developers and Won’t Explain Why (archive)
Developers I spoke to said the community estimated around 80 to 90 repositories containing the work of 40 to 50 people went down recently, with many becoming inaccessible around late November and early December. Many of the affected accounts are part of the modding community for games made by the now-defunct Japanese video game studio Illusion, which made popular games with varying degrees of erotic content. One of the accounts Github banned contained the work of more than 30 contributors in more than 40 repositories, according to members of the modding community that I spoke to.
Github updated its acceptable use policies in October 2025 to forbid “sexually themed or suggestive content that serves little or no purpose other than to solicit an erotic or shocking response, particularly where that content is amplified by its placement in profiles or other social contexts.” This include pornographic content and “graphic depictions of sexual acts including photographs, video, animation, drawings, computer-generated images, or text-based content,” according to the terms.

 
404 Media: Github Banned a Ton of Adult Game Developers and Won’t Explain Why (archive)



GitHub Sexually Obscene Content
We do not tolerate content associated with sexual exploitation or abuse of another individual, including where minors are concerned. We do not allow sexually themed or suggestive content that serves little or no purpose other than to solicit an erotic or shocking response, particularly where that content is amplified by its placement in profiles or other social contexts. This includes:

Pornographic content
Non-consensual intimate imagery
Graphic depictions of sexual acts including photographs, video, animation, drawings, computer-generated images, or text-based content
We recognize that not all nudity or content related to sexuality is obscene. We may allow visual and/or textual depictions in artistic, educational, historical or journalistic contexts, or as it relates to victim advocacy. In some cases a disclaimer can help communicate the context of the project. However, please understand that we may choose to limit the content by giving users the option to opt in before viewing.
Checking when made
edit:
AI said current Year updated rules
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Updated to Current rule - https://git.law/templates/doc/acceptable-use-policies-github-sexually-obscene-content-github--anyDGT
 
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It's not archived, me triggered.

https://docs.github.com/en/site-policy/acceptable-use-policies/github-sexually-obscene-content (archive) (ghost) (mega)
https://docs.github.com/en/site-pol...ies/github-child-sexual-exploitation-or-abuse (archive) (ghost) (mega)

AI said current Year updated rules
The commit link in the 404 article describes exactly what happened in byte-level detail: https://github.com/github/docs/commit/f4ea74a1f65dd88b6df09c86a2732f8f72029b7c (archive) (mega)

On October 23, 2025, they inserted a link in the GitHub Sexually Obscene Content policy to a completely new GitHub Child Sexual Exploitation or Abuse policy. Seen from checking October 18 and November 15 waybacks. Here's the important part:
This means you may not engage in activities including but not limited to:
  • Uploading, linking to, or otherwise distributing or promoting CSAM
  • Depicting sexualized minors in any form, including textual fantasies, cartoons or drawings, simulations, or AI-generated content
  • Soliciting or advertising CSAM or services involving the exploitation of children
  • Engaging in or facilitating child grooming, sextortion, or trafficking of minors
  • Glorifying, praising, supporting, or instructing in the abuse of children

They also added policies for "Non-Consensual Intimate Imagery" and "Terrorism and Violent Extremism", and spun out "Synthetic Media and AI Tools" from "Misinformation and Disinformation" as its own policy page.
 
404 Media: Github Banned a Ton of Adult Game Developers and Won’t Explain Why (archive)




And so the next phase begins. NOBODY can argue with a straight face that powerful forces aren't at work behind the scenes attacking everything.
This also touches on the mod and unofficial update scene. They are cutting off speech that retards and moralfags don't like bit by bit, chunk by chunk systematically.
 
December 8, 2025: Automaton West: Fan service-heavy gacha game Brown Dust 2 disappears from Steam only 2 days after celebrating 200,000 Wishlists (archive)
December 9, 2025: Automaton West: Racy anime gacha game Brown Dust 2 no longer coming to Steam. Developers considering alternative platforms (archive)
December 9, 2025: Niche Gamer: Brown Dust II cancels Steam release, dev considering other options (archive)

January 12, 2026: Niche Gamer: BrownDust2 walks back global censorship plans after fan response (archive)
Originally, multiple characters and even a mini-game were set to be removed or altered from the popular gacha game in order to comply with regional laws. However the global audience for the game loudly rejected the censorship, leading BrownDust2 to take a more nuanced approach.

In a recent Developer Note [archive] [mega] update, project director Jun-hee Lee explains his thought process behind the initial censorship plans as part of an apology to fans.
 

Universal removal or just local access i wonder? Either way, that country is quickly descending in general. Letter content is likely to be high on the list. Defenders, esp on the left, of "why does this exist/does someone make this" type of self-censorship are going to continue to have rude awakenings. The door is now open to taste policing and moral faggotry.

No the worst bit of news, within the context of most of the rest in this thread.
 
sorry was way lazy :story:
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closed garden happening.
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KOSA steam rolling ahead this year
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current today:
2 dupe lootbox lawsuits for steam
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close off today of tooo early for twitter.
TOS CHANGE- Payment glitch happened early this month or last month.
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sorry was way lazy
No, I really appreciate the info. That Subscribe Star bit is particularly insane; there is genuinely no point to that website anymore. When it's just as restrictive and censorial as every other website, then it now officially has no more point. That seems to be how it always goes: present as an alternative, build a userbase off of being an alternative, then cuck out and be identical to every other competitor, thus defeating the entire point.

I wonder if Null's weird check mailing alternative might unironically gain some traction amongst other internet pariahs now.
 
No, I really appreciate the info. That Subscribe Star bit is particularly insane; there is genuinely no point to that website anymore. When it's just as restrictive and censorial as every other website, then it now officially has no more point. That seems to be how it always goes: present as an alternative, build a userbase off of being an alternative, then cuck out and be identical to every other competitor, thus defeating the entire point.

I wonder if Null's weird check mailing alternative might unironically gain some traction amongst other internet pariahs now.
its early for twitter so its tommorow news.
but came out end of today.
twitter going to blaze tommorow with panic
 
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