UK Trade Body Responds to Steam and Itch.io Adult Game Removals

UKIE and Itch.io (Image Credit: X)

The conversation around adult content in video games has taken another turn this week, as the UK’s games industry trade body, UKIE, issued an official response to the recent wave of adult game removals from digital storefronts Steam and itch.io.

The statement, given to GamesIndustry.biz, urges platforms and payment processors to place greater trust in established age rating systems like PEGI, especially when navigating sensitive or controversial game content.

This comes in the wake of both Steam and itch.io tightening their policies on explicit material after facing external pressure from payment partners. Itch.io, known for its indie-first and creator-friendly ethos, made headlines last week after confirming that it had “deindexed” all NSFW content from its public-facing browse and search pages. According to itch.io’s creator leafo, the move was in response to scrutiny from payment processors who raised red flags after the brief appearance of a controversial game titled No Mercy.

Steam has been undergoing its own quiet crackdown. Over the past month, numerous adult-only games—reportedly involving themes like hypnosis, coercion, and other taboo subject matter—were removed or banned outright. Developers across both platforms have raised concerns over vague enforcement, shifting guidelines, and a lack of clarity from the platforms or their financial partners.

Amid growing frustration from creators and users alike, UKIE has stepped in with a carefully worded statement that emphasizes creative freedom, player safety, and transparent classification systems.

"The UK games industry champions creative freedom while taking its responsibilities to players seriously," UKIE said. "Clear and consistent age ratings are a crucial part of helping people make informed choices about the content they engage with."

They went on to highlight PEGI—the Pan-European Game Information system—as a strong example of responsible content classification, encouraging platforms and payment processors to lean on existing systems instead of implementing vague or overreaching bans.

“That’s why Ukie strongly supports the use of robust classification systems like PEGI across all platforms, including those hosting adult or experimental content,” the statement continued. “We believe payment providers and platforms alike should have confidence in trusted age rating systems and the enforcement mechanisms behind them."

The ongoing controversy surrounding adult games on major platforms can be traced back to an organized campaign launched by Collective Shout, an Australian activist group focused on opposing sexual exploitation and harmful media. The group took particular aim at games like No Mercy, which was briefly available on itch.io and Steam in April before being removed.

On July 11, Collective Shout escalated matters by publishing a widely shared open letter, addressed directly to the CEOs of PayPal, Mastercard, Visa, Discover, and JCB. The letter criticized payment companies for "profiting from rape, incest and child abuse games on Steam," although it notably lumped itch.io into the conversation as well.

As a result, both platforms appear to have taken preemptive or reactionary measures, revising their adult content policies to avoid jeopardizing their relationships with financial institutions. Itch.io’s newly updated Adult Content FAQ outlines a non-exhaustive list of banned themes, including Non-consensual content, Incest, Bestiality, Rape, Revenge, and Fetishes.

While UKIE’s statement does not directly address Collective Shout or the platforms’ enforcement methods, it’s clear that the organization is calling for a better balance between safety and creative freedom.

Whether UKIE’s appeal to trust PEGI and similar systems will sway payment providers remains to be seen. But for now, adult content creators in gaming are facing a less stable landscape, one that could shift again at the drop of a hat—or the press of a “report” button.

Just a reminder, there’s an ongoing petition by passionate fans against payment processors at Change.org, which has now gathered 152,759 signatures.