Mastercard and Visa are at the center of controversy as their payment rules forced platforms like Steam and itch.io to pull thousands of adult titles.
Mastercard and Visa drive new wave of censorship
Australian lobby group Collective Shout pressured them to cut ties with platforms selling games tagged with rape, incest, or exploitation. To keep payments flowing, Steam and itch.io quietly stripped hundreds of NSFW projects from storefronts.
The Competition Board has launched an investigation into payment giants Mastercard and Visa to determine whether they violated competition.
Developers lash out at Mastercard and Visa restrictions
Indie creators and communities erupted in protest. Some warned this clampdown won’t stop at explicit titles but could bleed into wider creative work. A petition demanding Mastercard and Visa reverse course gained over 150,000 signatures.
Collateral damage hits more than adult games
In the purge, itch.io de‑indexed over 20,000 games. Many weren’t pornographic at all LGBTQ+ stories, personal autobiographies, and experimental projects were swept up. Steam updated its policies but left creators confused over what content risks removal.
Creators fear shrinking spaces for expression
Marginalized voices say they’ve been hit hardest. LGBTQ+ projects and mental‑health‑driven narratives vanished alongside explicit content. Developers now worry payment processors, not players or platforms, will dictate what stories survive.
- Over 20,000 games vanished from itch.io
- Petition against Mastercard and Visa passed 150,000 signatures
- Award‑winning indie projects mistakenly flagged
Mastercard and Visa policy raises wider concerns
Visa claimed it doesn’t judge legal content, but said “high‑risk merchants” may face tighter controls or even service bans. That stance pushed platforms into immediate compliance. Lawmakers are now weighing whether payment firms should wield this much influence.
The fight over Mastercard and Visa isn’t just about games
From grassroots campaigns to alternative storefronts, players and developers are pushing back. Scripts for calling card companies circulate online, and new community‑run databases are forming. For many, this battle is less about porn and more about who controls online art.
Final shot: finance firms as culture’s gatekeepers
Mastercard and Visa didn’t just pull levers on payments they pulled the plug on thousands of creative works. If banks dictate what art can be sold, the question becomes simple: who really decides what we’re allowed to play?
