Valve, the company behind the popular gaming platform Steam, has introduced new rules that restrict certain types of adult content. This change comes after pressure from payment processors and other partner companies.
The updated guidelines, announced this week, now prohibit “certain kinds of adult only content” that may violate the rules set by Steam’s payment processors, banks, or internet providers. The new rule is vague but appears to target specific adult content categories.
Soon after the announcement, Steam removed dozens of games referencing incest, as well as some titles involving “slave” or “prison” themes. These removals suggest Steam is responding directly to concerns from payment partners about controversial content.
Valve has long allowed many types of adult content on its platform, as long as they are legal and properly age-gated. However, the company must comply with payment processors, who control how customers pay for games. In the past, companies like Visa and PayPal have restricted payments for sites linked to illegal or harmful content.
Valve stopped accepting Bitcoin payments in 2017 due to its instability, showing the company’s reliance on traditional payment systems. Avoiding these payment processors is difficult for a large platform like Steam.
While the removal of these niche adult games may not affect most Steam users, the decision highlights how external companies influence content rules on major digital platforms. This shift could lead to broader changes in what content is allowed on Steam in the future.
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