Mastercard said on August 1, 2025, that it had not evaluated any game or required restrictions on game creator platforms. Valve, however, said payment processors and acquiring banks had relayed concerns tied to Mastercard rules and brand risk, prompting Steam to remove some games. The public accounts establish a disagreement over how the pressure was communicated—not exactly what intermediaries requested or who made the operative decision.
What happened
In July 2025, Valve added language to Steamworks barring content that may violate standards set by payment processors, related card networks and banks, or internet network providers—particularly certain kinds of adult-only content. Valve said it was retiring games after notification because losing payment methods could prevent customers from buying other titles and content on Steam.
On August 1, Mastercard issued a public statement denying that it had evaluated games or required restrictions on activity at game creator platforms. On August 3–4, TechCrunch and Game Developer reported Valve’s account that concerns had reached Steam through payment processors and acquiring banks, which cited Mastercard Rule 5.12.7. These are attributed statements; the underlying communications have not been made available in the reporting covered here.
What Mastercard said—and what it did not say
Mastercard said it had not evaluated any game or required restrictions on game creator sites and platforms. It also said merchants must have controls to prevent unlawful transactions, including purchases involving illegal adult content. The company’s statement did not establish that any particular game removed from Steam was illegal.
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What Valve said about the payment processors
Valve’s account, provided to Kotaku and reported by multiple publications, was that Mastercard did not contact Valve directly, despite Valve’s request. Instead, Valve said, Mastercard spoke with payment processors and acquiring banks, and those intermediaries then spoke with Valve. Valve said they rejected Steam’s policy of trying to distribute games legal for distribution and cited Mastercard Rule 5.12.7 and risk to the Mastercard brand.
This account is Valve’s description of the communications, not an independently reviewed set of messages. It is compatible with Mastercard’s denial of direct game evaluations or direct platform restrictions: the disagreement is whether concerns relayed through intermediaries affected Steam’s payment relationship and what those intermediaries actually requested.
How the two accounts differ
| Issue | Mastercard’s public position | Valve’s reported account |
|---|---|---|
| Contact and restrictions | Mastercard said it had not evaluated games or required restrictions on game creator platforms. | Valve said concerns reached it through payment processors and acquiring banks, rather than directly from Mastercard. |
| Stated concern | Mastercard emphasized merchant controls against unlawful transactions, including illegal adult content. | Valve said intermediaries cited Rule 5.12.7 and risk to Mastercard’s brand, and rejected Steam’s existing policy. |
| Evidence available | The company’s published statement is public. | Valve’s account was reported by publications; the underlying intermediary communications are not available in the reporting covered here. |
What Mastercard Rule 5.12.7 says in the reported wording
Game Developer reproduced wording attributed to Rule 5.12.7. It bars submitting a transaction that is illegal or that, in Mastercard’s sole discretion, may damage goodwill or reflect negatively on its marks. The reported text gives examples of material it describes as patently offensive and lacking serious artistic value, including nonconsensual sexual behavior, sexual exploitation of a minor, nonconsensual mutilation, and bestiality.
This is wording reproduced in reporting, not the full current Mastercard rules document. Its broad brand-goodwill clause is distinct from a finding that every disputed game was unlawful; the available account does not show Mastercard publicly classifying all removed Steam titles as illegal.
How this relates to Itch.io
TechCrunch reported a parallel episode in which Itch.io removed adult content from browse and search during an audit, then began re-indexing some free adult-content games while negotiating with payment processors. That episode provides context for the wider payment-services dispute, but it does not establish that Steam and Itch.io received identical requests.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What remains unresolved
- The exact instructions or concerns communicated by each processor or acquiring bank.
- Who made the operative decision about particular Steam listings and the precise role of Mastercard’s rule.
- The number of affected Steam titles and whether those games are currently available.
- The legality of any individual game involved in the dispute.
Because the private communications are not available in the reporting covered here, the direct-versus-indirect dispute and the stated rationale should remain attributed to Mastercard and Valve rather than presented as independently verified findings.
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