Petition Against Mastercard, Visa Over Adult Game Bans on Steam Crosses 250k Signatures

A Change.org petition opposing the recent adult game ban on Steam has surpassed 250,000 signatures as of August 14, making it one of the largest anti-censorship campaigns in gaming history.

Titled “Tell MasterCard, Visa & Activist Groups: Stop Controlling What We Can Watch, Read, or Play”, the petition was launched on July 17, 2025, by a user going by Zero Ryoko.

It follows Valve’s policy update that resulted in the removal of hundreds of adult-themed games from Steam, under pressure from major payment processors like Visa and Mastercard.

Collective Shout, an Australian activist group, played a significant role in pressuring these financial institutions. However, the public response has been quick and outspoken.

In less than a month, the petition skyrocketed from around 1,600 signatures to over 250,000, completely overshadowing the earlier campaign urging Steam to remove adult games. In comparison, that previous petition took four months to gather just over 70,000 signatures.

The petition's message is clear: censoring legal digital content based on unclear moral standards threatens both creative freedom and consumer choice. As Ryoko puts it, "These activist groups do not speak for everyone."

One of the petition’s main arguments is the "blatant hypocrisy" in how payment processors enforce content rules. Ryoko highlights that while "fictional depictions" face ban, platforms like OnlyFans — which involve real people and carry actual risks of exploitation — continue to operate freely and profitably.

Currently, Steam has reportedly removed over 400 adult games. On the indie front, Itch.io initially deindexed all adult content from search results while conducting manual reviews. However, a week later, the platform began reindexing some free adult games but remains unable to process paid ones until it secures "additional payment partnerships" not restricted by the same moral guidelines.

Valve’s situation is trickier. Given Steam’s massive global audience, dropping Mastercard or Visa isn’t realistic. As per industry analysts, replacing them would mean relying on a fragmented network of smaller, regional processors — an unsustainable move for a platform of Steam’s scale. The company recently faced another setback when PayPal halted Steam transactions in certain regions due to its acquiring bank’s restrictions.

Past cases show that payment providers often test enforcement in smaller markets before rolling out wider bans, making this a concerning precedent for global game distribution.

According to Trans News Network, even non-explicit yuri and lesbian romance games have been caught in the purge.

Meanwhile, ZOOM Platform, known for selling DRM-free retro games, says it too has been pressured by payment processors to remove certain titles but refuses to comply. The company told GamingOnLinux that even popular retro franchises like GTA and Duke Nukem were flagged as “potentially at risk.”

The backlash isn’t just coming from gamers. Industry bodies like UKIE, IGDA, and AFEE are questioning whether payment processors should have the authority to decide what is acceptable in gaming culture. YouTuber Ross Scott, best known for spearheading the Stop Killing Games movement, also weighed in, noting a clear connection to his own preservation campaign. "It's the same problem, just a different flavor," Ross said.

The petition outlines four core demands for Mastercard, Visa, and affiliated activist groups:

• Stop censoring legal fictional content that complies with the law and platform rules.

• Reject influence from activist groups that promote moral panic or misrepresent fiction as harm.

• Be fully transparent about content restrictions and the reasoning behind them.

• Protect creators’ rights and ensure fair appeals for penalized works.

The petition wrapped up with a strong statement: "Let creators create. Let consumers choose. Payment processors and activist groups should not be cultural gatekeepers in a digital age."

While Change.org petitions carry no legal authority, their influence in shaping public discourse is undeniable. Crossing the 250,000 mark gives this campaign significant weight in the ongoing debate over creative freedom, platform responsibility, and financial control in gaming.