Valve has announced a significant shift in its content policy, prohibiting games with `mature themes` from participating in Steam Early Access. This policy update comes amidst increasing pressure from anti-pornography advocacy groups, who are targeting payment processors crucial to platforms like Steam and Itch.io.
Dammitbird, the creator of the adult action RPG “Heavy Hearts,” publicly shared on X that their game`s Early Access application was denied because of its mature content. The rejection notice from Steam explicitly stated:
“Your app has failed our review because we`re unable to support the Early Access model of development for a game with mature themes.”
In an interview with GamesMarkt, Dammitbird explained the urgency behind their Early Access application: “Due to current events, I panicked and contacted my publisher to help me get on Steam Early Access.” They noted that “Heavy Hearts” was approximately 70% complete, exceeding the typical 65% readiness for Early Access. However, despite this, the rules changed suddenly and without prior announcement, preventing their entry into Steam EA.
“Heavy Hearts,” which blends explicit sexual content with traditional RPG elements, previously faced challenges with Itch.io earlier this year when many adult games were delisted. Dammitbird clarified, “`Heavy Hearts` is still accessible on Itch, but it has been de-indexed, making it unsearchable.” They managed to create a separate free demo page for discoverability. Itch.io previously accounted for half of their game`s revenue, funding artists and partners. While Patreon and Subscribestar currently sustain the game, Dammitbird expressed concern about their long-term viability.
Dammitbird also highlighted that Patreon, despite being their primary current support, also has a volatile history with adult content creators, posing a continuous deplatforming risk.
The gaming community, including developers and organizations like the International Game Developers Association, has voiced strong opposition to this seemingly arbitrary censorship of adult games. Critics point to the lack of transparency and clear guidelines from platforms. Itch.io, in response, is actively exploring solutions, such as re-listing certain free NSFW content and seeking new payment processors for adult game transactions.