Digital games platform Steam recently sent shockwaves through the community by abruptly changing its content review guidelines for game submissions. The new rules were retroactively applied to previously approved adult-themed titles, leading to a wave of forced delistings. Shortly after, the indie game hub itch.io also announced it was removing multiple explicit games featuring sexual violence and incest.
This trend stems from the "Adult Game Regulation Campaign" launched by Collective Shout, an Australian non-profit advocacy group. In a recent statement, the group clarified that its goal is to combat the sexual exploitation of women and children, which prompted its intervention against certain adult games sold on Steam and itch.io.
Collective Shout has already successfully pressured platforms like Steam, Nintendo, and itch.io to remove several explicit games containing themes of sexual violence and incest. The campaign has also faced opposition, with some launching a petition demanding that Collective Shout cease its "attack on Japanese games" and restore creative freedom for 2D content.
Collective Shout's involvement in gaming began in March of this year, sparked by the controversial release of an adult visual novel titled No Mercy. The group protested the game's content, launching a campaign targeting its host platforms, Steam and itch.io. Ultimately, the game's developer chose to pull the title voluntarily.
However, the story didn't end there. Collective Shout then escalated its strategy by targeting payment processors. The group issued public statements to major payment platforms, including VISA, Mastercard, JCB, and PayPal, urging them to review their partnerships with platforms hosting adult games centered on themes like rape and incest.
In response, Steam has implemented stricter categorization and restrictions on specific adult content, resulting in a large number of delistings. Meanwhile, itch.io has "hidden" all NSFW games from its site's browse and search results pending a review process. According to itch.io, this drastic measure was a direct result of pressure from payment companies, which launched investigations following Collective Shout's complaints.
Facing intense backlash from the gaming community, Collective Shout issued a clarifying statement: they are not indiscriminately reporting all 18+ games, but are specifically targeting content that involves sexual violence or the torture of women. The group claims that itch.io's sweeping content purge was the platform's own decision and not something they had demanded.
Furthermore, the statement revealed that the group had repeatedly protested certain controversial games on Steam but received no response, which is why they ultimately decided to approach the credit card companies.
▼ In response to backlash from users, Collective Shout has now set its official X account to private, viewable only by approved followers.
Regardless of Collective Shout's official stance, its campaign has undeniably triggered significant policy changes at both Steam and itch.io. Numerous adult games that were once available for purchase have been quietly removed, sparking frustration and confusion among users. The community is now watching closely to see if this "content moderation earthquake" will escalate and what it means for the future of creative freedom for adult game developers and players on these platforms.
While Collective Shout maintains it is "only targeting illegal and violent content," some players argue that this is a case of "censorship in the name of justice." How long this controversy will continue to unfold remains to be seen.