Indie Devs Push Back: Steam & Itch.io Adult Crackdowns Harm LGBTQ+ Creators

Consume me on Steam and itch.io (Image Credit: Jenny Jiao Hsia)

The ongoing crackdown on adult-themed games across major platforms is sparking outrage and concern among indie developers. After Steam and Itch.io quietly removed or deindexed adult content due to pressure from payment processors, affected creators are speaking out — and they’re not pulling punches.

In a new feature by PC Gamer, several developers described the move as yet another blow to creative freedom and a worrying trend of censorship, especially when it targets LGBTQ+ content and politically-charged art.

“Itch.io hosts a lot of LGBTQ games and content—not just mine,” said indie developer Robert Yang, who’s built a reputation around bold, thought-provoking art games like The Tearoom and Rinse & Repeat. “If we’re all permanently deindexed or deleted, then we have nowhere else to go.”

Yang’s frustration is echoed across the indie community, with many pointing out that while No Mercy—the controversial game at the center of the current firestorm—was already banned months ago, the fallout is impacting far more than one title.

The Chain Reaction

It all started with an open letter published by Collective Shout, an Australian activist group. On July 11, they targeted CEOs of PayPal, Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and Japan Credit Bureau, demanding they stop processing payments for platforms that host games they claim promote “rape, incest, and child abuse.”

That letter triggered a sharp response from payment processors, and both Steam and Itch.io made rapid changes. On Itch.io, adult games were completely scrubbed from search and browse listings—effectively disappearing from the platform for most users. Steam, meanwhile, has reportedly removed multiple adult-only titles and tightened its publishing guidelines.

Itch.io’s creator, leafo, acknowledged the platform had been placed under scrutiny by their payment providers.

And while these changes were framed as compliance measures, they’ve drawn heavy criticism for being overly broad and disproportionately affecting queer creators and experimental developers.

“This Is Nothing New”

Yang, whose games often explore themes of sexuality, gender, and public space, isn’t surprised. He calls it “the same conservative anti-LGBTQ tradition,” where culture war tactics are used to push censorship under the guise of moral concern.

Other developers agree. Jenny Jiao Hsia and AP Thomson, the team behind Consume Me—winner of this year’s Seumas McNally Grand Prize—said their game was caught in Itch.io’s mass deindexing. While they don’t expect to lose much revenue themselves, they recognize how devastating this could be for others.

“That is absolutely not the case for many other developers out there,” they noted. “This is the same song and dance performed by every anti-porn, anti-sex-work, and anti-LGBTQ+ organization going back decades.”

They also pushed back on the idea that banning adult content protects anyone, especially women and LGBTQ+ folks. Instead, they say it silences them.

“Many women consume and produce adult content… and deserve to be able to do so safely, publicly, and without having their income cut off.”

A Murky Standard

One of the most frustrating parts? There’s still no clear definition of what qualifies as NSFW in the eyes of platforms and payment partners. Developers say this vagueness only leads to overreaching policies that sweep up legitimate, artful, and often deeply personal work.

“Sex is a natural part of life and culture… Treating it as completely taboo protects no one,” Hsia and Thomson argue.

Yang takes it a step further, suggesting the crackdown isn't just about sex — it’s about erasing queer identities from public discourse.

“These bans amount to a ban on LGBTQ communities from engaging in political speech. It’s a way to force us out of sight.”

He also called out the broader games industry for staying quiet while this unfolds, pointing out a double standard when it comes to free speech.

“The commercial games industry champions free speech only when it’s convenient. But when LGBTQ creators are under fire, it’s crickets.”

What Can Be Done?

Developers aren’t just venting—they’re calling for action. Hsia and Thomson recommend that people contact payment providers directly, using tools like yellat.money to voice opposition to these blanket bans. They also pointed to an ACLU petition that’s nearing 150,000 signatures.

And there’s a strong argument for turning the same pressure back on the processors that bowed to Collective Shout’s campaign. If 1,000 emails from one group triggered this, what could 10,000 from concerned players, devs, and allies do?

Robert Yang also raised questions about Collective Shout’s legitimacy as a charity, suggesting their overtly political activity and culture war campaigning could run afoul of Australia’s charity regulations.

For now, creators are left navigating the chaos — fighting not just to preserve their income, but to preserve their right to express, explore, and speak to audiences through art.

Whether this industry pushback will lead to meaningful change remains to be seen — but one thing’s clear: the controversy is far from over.