The Worldwide Recreation Builders Affiliation (IGDA) says it’s “critically alarmed” by the current delistings of grownup video games from shops like itch.io.
Final week indie digital sport retailer Itch.io deindexed its whole NSFW (not protected for work) video games library from its retailer, a transfer which comes as cost suppliers have began scrutinising NSFW content material on platforms akin to Steam.
In a brand new assertion, the IGDA stated it’s “calling for higher transparency and equity in how grownup video games are moderated and actioned throughout main platforms”.
“The IGDA is critically alarmed by the current wave of sport delistings, deindexing, and cost disruptions concentrating on adult-themed titles on platforms akin to Steam and Itch.io,” it stated.
“Experiences recommend these actions have been taken with little to no communication and have disproportionately harmed builders producing authorized, consensual, and ethically-developed content material, together with creators from marginalized communities.”
The organisation identified that whereas it’s not unusual for platforms to have phrases of service limiting sport content material akin to non-consensual acts and incest which violate cost processor pointers, its concern “just isn’t the existence of those guidelines, however moderately that their enforcement is adversely impacting video games that don’t really violate these restrictions, typically with out warning or rationalization.”
“Video games that characteristic consensual grownup content material, together with queer, kink-positive, or romantic narratives, are simply focused below imprecise or overly cautious enforcement, typically forcing builders into silence or self-censorship as a result of platforms worry perceived dangers related to internet hosting authorized grownup content material,” it added.
“Additional stories recommend that current coverage modifications are pushed largely by stress from cost processors like Visa, Mastercard, and others, who might threaten to withhold cost processing providers from platforms internet hosting grownup content material. Because of this, monetary establishments are actually influencing which tales could be instructed and offered in video games, with minimal transparency or public accountability.”
We’ve posted an addendum FAQ to our authentic weblog publish about NSFW content material. You’ll be able to learn it right here: https://t.co/TyKnqDVZht
Thanks to your endurance as we navigate by way of this. We’re upset too. We’re doing what we will however there are nonetheless many unknowns at this level.
— itch.io (@itchio) July 28, 2025
The group makes it clear that it “doesn’t condone or assist content material that promotes or fetishizes sexual violence, non-consensual sexual acts, or the sexualization of minors”, and that it’s as a substitute centered on “builders creating consensual, lawful, and ethically-developed video games,” including that it helps “clear, constant content material insurance policies, not imprecise or overly broad censorship”.
Itch.Io said final week that resulting from stress from the group Collective Shout, which issued an open letter to cost processors demanding that they stop supporting on-line platforms that host specific video games, they’d eliminated all grownup video games from their search and browse options whereas figuring out their subsequent steps.
In its assertion, Itchi.io stated it was “a time-critical second” for the platform, apologising that it couldn’t warn NSFW sport builders of the modifications, as a result of it was “not practical” to offer superior warning.
“We’re at the moment conducting a complete audit of content material to make sure we will meet the necessities of our cost processors,” it stated. “Pages will stay deindexed as we full our overview. As soon as this overview is full, we are going to introduce new compliance measures.
“For NSFW pages, this may embody a brand new step the place creators should verify that their content material is allowable below the insurance policies of the respective cost processors linked to their account.”
