Indie-focused open source gaming marketplace Itch.io has suddenly de-indexed adult content from its browse and search pages, warning that some games will be permanently removed from the platform. In a blog post on Thursday, Itch.io creator Leaf Corcoran said the update was prompted by concerns from the site’s payment processors “about the nature of certain content” hosted on the platform, following similar scrutiny by Steam.
“Our ability to process payments is critical to every creator on our platform,” Corcoran said. “To ensure that we can continue to operate and provide a marketplace for all developers, we must prioritize our relationships with our payment partners and take immediate steps to comply.”
While Itch.io hosts a variety of gaming content, adult and pornographic games are often among the most popular on the platform. Content creators who host their work on Itch.io were not notified of this decision. “We know it’s not ideal, and we apologize for the suddenness of this change,” Corcoran said. It’s unclear whether users will be able to access games and visual novels they paid for before the update. We have reached out to Itch.io for clarification.
Credit card companies, such as Visa and Mastercard, have policies that restrict certain types of illegal and indecent content. Last week, Steam similarly removed some adult games after quietly changing its policy to ban any content that might violate the rules set by the platform’s payment providers and card networks. The backlash against both online gaming platforms has drawn comparisons to the situation with the banning of pornographic content on Tumblr in 2018, a decision that Matt Mullenweg, CEO of Tumblr’s parent company, Automattic, attributed to pressure from credit card companies and which many believe drove many users away from the platform.
Itch.io has not yet provided a full guide for creators describing the content allowed on the platform after this change, but notes that creators will need to confirm that their NSFW content complies with all the rules set by their account payment processors. Of course, this is assuming that it doesn’t cause a massive outflow of users, similar to Tumblr, who may be looking for an alternative service to post, sell, and buy NSFW games.
“We are currently conducting a comprehensive content audit to make sure we can meet the requirements of our payment processors,” Corcoran said. “The pages will remain de-indexed until we complete the audit. Once the review is complete, we will implement new compliance measures.”
