Payment Processors Pressure Gaming Platforms to Remove Queer and NSFW Titles, Sparking Outcry

In late July, the gaming industry witnessed a significant escalation in the ongoing debate over adult and LGBTQ+ content in digital spaces. Several major payment processors, including Visa and Mastercard, reportedly pressured popular gaming storefronts Steam and Itch.io to enforce stricter guidelines on erotic, sexually explicit, and mature-themed games, leading to mass deindexing and removal of such titles from their platforms .

The platforms’ moves were prompted by what industry and advocacy sources describe as “compliance requirements” from their payment partners. These requirements appear to have been influenced by lobbying from groups opposed to adult content, resulting in blanket bans that impact not only explicit material but also a wide array of games featuring LGBTQ+ themes, relationships, and narratives .

For many independent developers, especially those who identify as LGBTQ+, these changes represent more than a policy update—they threaten their professional livelihoods and creative expression. On Itch.io, a platform historically known for its inclusivity and robust indie queer game scene, the fallout has been immediate. Thousands of games have been deindexed or removed as the site undertakes a sweeping “audit” to satisfy payment processor mandates .

Leafo, Itch.io’s founder, confirmed the new compliance measures: “We are currently conducting a comprehensive audit of content to ensure we can meet the requirements of our payment processors. Pages will remain deindexed as we complete our review… For NSFW pages, this will include a new step where creators must confirm that their content is allowable under the policies of the respective payment processors linked to their account” .

Affected creators like Robert Yang, a game developer known for exploring queer themes, expressed deep concern: “If we're all permanently deindexed (or deleted) then we have nowhere else to go, really” . Other developers report being locked out of payouts, with money from sales frozen or inaccessible while their games are under review .

Steam, the world’s largest PC game distribution platform, also updated its publisher guidelines to prohibit “content that may violate the rules and standards set forth by Steam’s payment processors and related card networks.” This language, industry experts note, effectively gives Visa and Mastercard significant influence over what games are allowed on the platform .

While some delisted titles clearly involved non-consensual or illegal content, the breadth of the ban has swept up many games that simply feature adult or queer narratives, regardless of legality or artistic merit . Critics argue that this approach disproportionately affects creators from marginalized backgrounds, especially LGBTQ+ developers who have long relied on indie platforms for authentic self-representation.

These developments echo similar crackdowns in other online sectors. OnlyFans and Fansly, platforms known for adult creator content, have both faced pressure from payment processors to more aggressively police and censor their offerings, including content featuring LGBTQ+ creators .

The backlash from developers, players, and advocates has been swift. Many see these moves as part of a broader trend of “financial censorship,” where powerful intermediaries—rather than lawmakers or the public—determine what can be created, shared, and sold online .

Advocacy organizations, including the American Civil Liberties Union, have previously raised alarms about payment processors' ability to restrict legal adult content and the chilling effect this can have on free expression, particularly for those whose work challenges mainstream norms .

For now, many LGBTQ+ game creators are urging supporters to voice their opposition directly to payment processing companies and to seek out and support affected indie games through alternative channels where possible .

The future of queer and adult-themed games remains uncertain as platforms, creators, and advocates navigate these new restrictions. But as the debate unfolds, one thing is clear: the fight for inclusive, representative, and uncensored digital spaces is far from over.