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Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Steam added a rule on 16 July 2025 barring content that may violate the standards of its payment processors, related card networks and banks, or internet providers—including certain kinds of adult-only content. Valve later said it removed some games after payment-related concerns were raised. Mastercard, however, said it had not evaluated games or required restrictions on game platforms. The public record does not identify every affected Steam game or establish a definitive removal count.
What Steam’s rule says
On 16 July 2025, Steam’s developer rules added a restriction covering content that may violate the rules and standards of Steam’s payment processors, related card networks and banks, or internet network providers. The wording singles out “certain kinds of adult only content,” but does not define those kinds in the rule itself. Steam’s Content Survey documentation sets out the related disclosure process for developers.
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The rule is not a blanket ban on every adult or sexual game. It makes compliance with third-party rules part of Steam’s content standard, while leaving the relevant processor criteria and their application to individual titles unspecified in the public wording.
Why Valve says it removed games
On 18 July 2025, Valve told PC Gamer that it had been notified that some Steam games might violate processor and network rules, and said it was retiring those games from sale. Valve said the issue could put payment methods at risk and, in turn, prevent customers from buying other games or content on Steam. That is Valve’s explanation of the business risk, not an independently established certainty about what would have happened.
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- Visa Virtual eGift Cards are designed for online use only. Gift Cards are subject to Terms and Conditions: a.co/5bw3qXJ
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- This Visa Virtual eGift Card is non-reloadable. No cash or ATM access. Visa Virtual eGift Cards are emailed active.
- Funds do not expire but your Visa Virtual eGift Card has a ‘valid thru’ date (9 years from date of purchase). If funds remain after this date has passed, please call the Toll Free number found on your Visa Virtual eGift Card for a replacement card. A one-time purchase fee applies at the time of checkout.
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Valve said it would notify the affected developers and issue app credits if they wanted to submit another game to Steam in the future. The announcement did not name the games or specify which individual rule each one was alleged to violate. PC Gamer reported Valve’s statement on 18 July 2025.
Did Mastercard make Steam remove the games?
The available public accounts differ, and they do not support saying Mastercard directly ordered Steam to remove named titles.
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- Visa Virtual eGift Cards are designed for online use only. Gift Cards are subject to Terms and Conditions: a.co/5bw3qXJ
- When you access your Visa Virtual eGift Card for the first time, you’ll need to register your name, address, phone number, and email address via activationspot.com. These details should also be used as your billing address for online purchases, as many merchants require address verification for purchase authorization.
- This Visa Virtual eGift Card is non-reloadable. No cash or ATM access. Visa Virtual eGift Cards are emailed active.
- Funds do not expire but your Visa Virtual eGift Card has a ‘valid thru’ date (9 years from date of purchase). If funds remain after this date has passed, please call the Toll Free number found on your Visa Virtual eGift Card for a replacement card. A one-time purchase fee applies at the time of checkout.
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| Who | What they said | What it establishes |
|---|---|---|
| Valve, as reported in August 2025 | Payment processors and acquiring banks raised concerns; Valve said Mastercard had not communicated with it directly, despite Valve’s request. Valve said the parties cited Mastercard Rule 5.12.7 and potential risk to the Mastercard brand. | Valve described indirect communications through processors and acquiring banks, and attributed the cited rule and brand concern to those communications. |
| Mastercard, public statement in August 2025 | “Mastercard has not evaluated any game or required restrictions of any activity on game creator sites and platforms, contrary to media reports and allegations.” It also said merchants must have controls against unlawful purchases, including illegal adult content. | Mastercard denied evaluating games or requiring platform restrictions. Its statement did not identify Steam’s specific removals. |
Valve’s account and Mastercard’s denial should be kept distinct: Valve said processors communicated concerns and cited Mastercard rules, while Mastercard denied requiring game restrictions and said it did not contact Valve directly. Neither statement publicly resolves which processor standards were applied to each delisted title. TechCrunch covered Mastercard’s statement and Valve’s account; GamingOnLinux also reported Valve’s account.
Which games were removed, and how many?
A complete Steam delisting list and a reliable total were not made public in the reporting available at the time. The Guardian reported that multiple removed games involved incest fantasies, but also noted that the affected titles extended beyond the original focus of the campaign that preceded the removals. It reported at least one contemporaneous game removal that the developers attributed to a DMCA claim rather than the new processor-related rule. A title disappearing around the same time therefore cannot automatically be assumed to have been removed under this policy. The Guardian’s 29 July 2025 report described the list and total as unclear.
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- Visa Virtual eGift Cards are designed for online use only. Gift Cards are subject to Terms and Conditions: a.co/5bw3qXJ
- When you access your Visa Virtual eGift Card for the first time, you’ll need to register your name, address, phone number, and email address via activationspot.com. These details should also be used as your billing address for online purchases, as many merchants require address verification for purchase authorization.
- This Visa Virtual eGift Card is non-reloadable. No cash or ATM access. Visa Virtual eGift Cards are emailed active.
- Funds do not expire but your Visa Virtual eGift Card has a ‘valid thru’ date (9 years from date of purchase). If funds remain after this date has passed, please call the Toll Free number found on your Visa Virtual eGift Card for a replacement card. A one-time purchase fee applies at the time of checkout.
- This item is not eligible for refund, resale, or return. Available for sale within the United States only. Not available to residents of Puerto Rico, Hawaii, New Mexico, South Dakota, West Virginia and the US Virgin Islands.
The reported figure of more than 20,000 games applies to a separate action by itch.io: its NSFW category was deindexed. It is not a Steam removal count. The Guardian reported that itch.io figure in August 2025.
What prompted the payment pressure?
The Guardian reported that advocacy group Collective Shout urged payment companies to stop processing payments for marketplaces carrying games it characterized as depicting rape, incest, and child sexual abuse. The group said it contacted processors after an earlier campaign involving No Mercy. This campaign context helps explain why payment services became part of the dispute, but does not establish that Mastercard itself contacted Valve or dictated a particular game’s removal. The Guardian’s report covered the campaign and the uncertainty around the affected Steam titles.
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What the Steamworks guidance means for developers
Steamworks requires developers to complete a Content Survey before submitting a store page and build for review. Developers are asked to disclose mature content accurately, including content present in a build even if it is inaccessible or not presented to players. Disclosure is not an exemption from Steam’s rules: the documentation says, “Products on Steam must adhere to the content rules, regardless of whether it is disclosed in these surveys.”
The same guidance separately says Valve does not currently accept Adult Only Sexual Content generated live during gameplay, citing legal and customer risks. That is a distinct Steam content rule; it should not be confused with the July 2025 payment-processor language. Steamworks’ Content Survey documentation describes both the survey and content expectations.
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- Visa Virtual eGift Cards are designed for online use only. Gift Cards are subject to Terms and Conditions: a.co/5bw3qXJ
- When you access your Visa Virtual eGift Card for the first time, you’ll need to register your name, address, phone number, and email address via activationspot.com. These details should also be used as your billing address for online purchases, as many merchants require address verification for purchase authorization.
- This Visa Virtual eGift Card is non-reloadable. No cash or ATM access. Visa Virtual eGift Cards are emailed active.
- Funds do not expire but your Visa Virtual eGift Card has a ‘valid thru’ date (9 years from date of purchase). If funds remain after this date has passed, please call the Toll Free number found on your Visa Virtual eGift Card for a replacement card. A one-time purchase fee applies at the time of checkout.
- This item is not eligible for refund, resale, or return. Available for sale within the United States only. Not available to residents of Puerto Rico, Hawaii, New Mexico, South Dakota, West Virginia and the US Virgin Islands.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
