Steam Removes Adult Games Due to Payment Processor Pressure
2025-07-19

Valve recently removed a batch of adult games from the Steam store due to violations of rules set by payment processors like Mastercard. Valve stated that losing payment methods would prevent customers from purchasing other games and content on Steam. While Valve is contacting affected developers and offering credits, the incident highlights the strict scrutiny payment processors apply to adult content, even animated content. This raises concerns about censorship and the power wielded by payment processors, with many arguing that companies like Mastercard shouldn't dictate what games players can buy on Steam.