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What did Mastercard say?
In a statement reported by GameSpot on August 1, 2025, Mastercard rejected claims that it had singled out games or required restrictions on creator platforms: “Mastercard has not evaluated any game or required restrictions of any activity on game creator sites and platforms, contrary to media reports and allegations.” GameSpot’s report
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Mastercard described its network policy as allowing lawful purchases while requiring controls against unlawful transactions, including illegal adult content. That is the company’s account of its general standards; it does not establish that any particular game was unlawful.
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The public accounts do not establish that Mastercard directly contacted Valve or ordered the removal of named games. Valve said the communication reached it through payment providers. A Valve representative told GamingOnLinux on August 1, 2025: “Mastercard did not communicate with Valve directly, despite our request to do so.”
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Valve said it had explained Steam’s policy, in place since 2018, of attempting to distribute games that are legal for distribution. Valve’s representative added: “Payment processors rejected this, and specifically cited Mastercard’s Rule 5.12.7 and risk to the Mastercard brand.” GamingOnLinux’s report
The distinction matters: a card network sets rules for its network; processors and acquiring banks handle merchant payment relationships and may relay concerns; the storefront decides how to respond on its service. Valve’s statement attributes the cited rule and brand-risk concern to processors. It does not show that Mastercard itself instructed Valve to remove particular titles.
What does Mastercard Rule 5.12.7 cover?
PC Gamer reproduced Rule 5.12.7 as covering transactions that are illegal or that, in Mastercard’s sole discretion, may damage its goodwill or reflect negatively on its marks. Its report also described examples of content the rules characterize as patently offensive. PC Gamer’s report on the rule
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This reported wording helps explain why payment providers might raise concerns beyond a simple question of whether a game is legal. It is not proof that any specific game violated the law or Mastercard’s rule, nor does it identify which titles providers considered a risk.
Why did Itch.io respond differently?
Itch.io described uncertainty about payment providers rather than a direct order from Mastercard. In a July 30, 2025 update reported by GameSpot, the platform said it was awaiting final determinations from Stripe and PayPal. It also said: “We have suspended the ability to pay with Stripe for 18+ content for the foreseeable future,” and that it was “actively reaching out to other payment processors that are more willing to work with this kind of content.” GameSpot’s report on Itch.io’s update
Itch.io also said its open publishing model made a narrowly targeted review difficult. Its July 2025 FAQ described more than 2 million product pages, with user-provided tags that could not be relied on as accurate. That figure refers to the scale of the platform—not the number of affected, removed, or illegal games. Itch.io said it focused on classification reviews and stricter age-gating. GameSpot’s report on Itch.io’s FAQ
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What changed for players and creators?
The consequences described in contemporaneous coverage were not limited to a simple choice between “available” and “removed.” Adult or NSFW content was deindexed in some cases, and some reindexing began while reviews and payment discussions continued. Deindexing can make a page harder to find without necessarily meaning the game has been removed from the storefront; payment restrictions can separately affect whether a customer can complete a purchase. Contemporary coverage of platform changes
The reporting does not establish a reliable total for how many games were affected across Steam and Itch.io. Nor does it verify the present-day listing or payment status of these platforms as of October 8, 2026. Their policies and payment arrangements may have changed since the July–August 2025 statements.
Quick Recap
What the evidence does—and does not—show
- Mastercard’s position: It denied evaluating games or requiring platform restrictions, and said its rules allow lawful purchases while requiring controls against unlawful ones.
- Valve’s account: Payment processors and acquiring banks communicated concerns to Valve, which said processors cited Rule 5.12.7 and risk to Mastercard’s brand.
- Itch.io’s account: It described uncertainty involving Stripe and PayPal, suspended Stripe payments for 18+ content for the foreseeable future in its July 2025 update, and outlined review and age-gating changes.
- Not established: The cited statements do not prove that Mastercard directly ordered specific removals, that any particular game was unlawful, or how many titles were affected.
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