Timeline of Steam, Itch.io Adult Game Bans and Collective Shout’s Campaign
- Sagar Mankar
- Jul 30
- 4 min read
The controversy over adult games on Steam and Itch.io has rapidly evolved from one contentious title to an industry-wide reckoning. What began as outrage over a single game spiraled into mass game removals, policy changes, platform-wide censorship, and fierce debates around free expression, artistic freedom, and platform responsibility. Here's how it all unfolded:
Timeline:
March 2025: No Mercy Sparks Outrage
Zerat Games releases No Mercy, an Adults Only title featuring extreme sexual content, including themes of incest and non-consensual acts. The game drew heavy criticism, with UK Parliament member Peter Kyle publicly condemning it. The controversy spreads internationally.
Early April 2025: Collective Shout Targets the Game
Australian activist group Collective Shout, known for fighting sexual exploitation in media, launches a campaign calling on Valve to remove No Mercy from Steam. Despite over 3,000 emails sent by supporters, Valve remains silent.
April 8: No Mercy is pulled from sale in Australia by the Australian Classification Board.
April 9: Collective Shout launches a petition to Steam demanding removal of the game — gains 70,000 signatures.
April 10: Petition escalates, directly calling out Valve CEO Gabe Newell.
April 12: The developer pulls the game from Steam voluntarily. Valve does not comment.
May 26, 2025: Campaign Moves to Payment Processors
Unable to get Valve to respond, Collective Shout shifts tactics and urges followers to pressure payment processors like Visa, Mastercard, and PayPal to cut ties with platforms hosting games depicting sexual violence.
“Profiting from simulated sexual violation of women and children doesn’t pay,” the group claims.
Their email campaign urges these financial institutions to stop facilitating the sale of "rape, incest, and child abuse" games. Over 1,000 emails are sent in this wave alone.
July 11, 2025: Open Letter to Payment Gateways
Collective Shout publishes an open letter signed by international anti-exploitation organizations, calling out executives at PayPal, Mastercard, Visa, Discover, and others. The letter asks them to stop processing payments for games featuring themes of rape, incest, or child abuse.
July 14, 2025: Global Media Push
Collective Shout releases a detailed investigation alleging over 500 such games exist on Steam and Itch.io. They publicly name and shame payment processors, claiming their platforms profit from “gamified violence against women and children.”
July 16, 2025: Steam Begins Mass Delisting
Following intense pressure, Steam removes hundreds of adult games, many of which feature extreme themes. Valve quietly updates its Terms of Service, citing payment processor restrictions.
July 19, 2025: Collective Shout Celebrates “Victory”
Collective Shout publicly declares victory:
“We encouraged our supporters to contact payment processors—and 1,067 did. The result? Hundreds of these games are gone.”
July 24, 2025: Itch.io Deindexes NSFW Content
Itch.io responds to similar pressure. It deindexed thousands of NSFW titles — removing them from search and browsing. It blames pressure from payment processors and links the decision to the No Mercy controversy and Collective Shout’s campaign. Among the affected games are award-winning indie titles like Consume Me, which deals with complex themes like body image and control.
July 25, 2025: Itch.io Clarifies Its Actions
A follow-up FAQ notes the content wasn’t deleted — just hidden from public listings. However, Itch.io confirms a “comprehensive audit” is underway. Some games may be permanently removed, especially if they breach new processor-aligned policies. Backlash from creators begins to intensify.
July 27, 2025: Itch.io Updates Guidelines
Itch.io releases strict new content rules banning depictions of rape, incest, bestiality, and related themes. The language is vague—terms like “pseudo-incest” and “implications” raise concerns about subjective enforcement.
July 28, 2025: Collective Shout Responds to Backlash
As criticism mounts, Collective Shout responds:
"We approached payment processors because Steam did not respond to us. We called on Itch.io to remove rape and incest games that we argued normalised violence and abuse of women. Itch.io made the decision to remove all NSFW content. Our objections were to content that involved sexualised violence and torture of women”
July 28, 2025: UKIE Weighs In
UK trade body UKIE responds to the situation, urging platforms and payment providers to trust official age rating systems like PEGI:
“Clear and consistent age ratings help people make informed choices… Platforms should have confidence in trusted systems.”
July 29, 2025: IGDA Issues a Strong Statement
The International Game Developers Association (IGDA) steps in, condemning vague and disproportionate enforcement:
“We are alarmed by the vague enforcement of policies delisting and deplatforming legal, consensual, and ethically‑developed games, especially from LGBTQ+ and marginalized creators.”
They advocate for:
Transparent and detailed content policies
Clear communication and appeals
Use of age ratings like ESRB/PEGI
Alternatives to risk-averse payment processors
“The right to make mature games with legal adult content is a creative right... Developers deserve clarity, consistency, and respect for their creative freedoms.”
The debate around adult content in games, platform responsibility, and third-party influence is far from over. With payment processors now playing gatekeepers, will game developers and platforms find a balance—or will censorship keep tightening its grip?