So Steam Just Let Banks Decide Which Games You Can Play 🙃

Okay, let’s pour one out for the good old days, because Steam has officially entered its most chaotic era. In a move that has everyone screaming, Valve quietly updated its rules to let payment processors-yep, the money people like Visa and Mastercard-have the final say on which adult games get to exist on its platform. Not Valve. The banks.

This isn't just some boring terms-of-service update; it's a full-on vibe shift that has developers and gamers alike spiraling. We’re talking about a new era of what people are calling “financial censorship,” and honestly, it’s a mess. Let’s break down the drama.

The Not-So-Fine Print: What Even Is Rule 15?

So, Valve added a sneaky new rule to its “What you shouldn’t publish on Steam” list. Rule 15 basically says developers can't upload content that violates the standards of payment processors, specifically calling out “certain kinds of adult-only content.” If you’re wondering what “certain kinds” means, get in line. The rule is laughably vague, which is the whole problem. It gives zero specifics, leaving developers to guess what might get their game nuked from the store. This effectively means Valve has outsourced its content moderation to financial giants who have their own, very corporate, agendas. Clown behavior, truly.

Why Did This Happen? Blame the Banks 💳

Listen, this didn’t come out of nowhere. For years, payment processors like Visa and Mastercard have been on a crusade against adult content across the web. While their goal is to stop illegal sales, their definition of “obscene” or “high-risk” often bleeds into perfectly legal adult content. Now, that crusade has come knocking on the door of the biggest PC gaming platform in the world.

Right after this new rule dropped, a ton of adult-only games vanished from Steam. We're talking dozens, maybe even hundreds. The common thread? Many featured themes like incest or non-consensual acts, which are major red flags for these financial institutions. Valve’s unofficial stance seems to be that its hands were tied-either they play by the banks' rules or risk their entire payment processing pipeline. They chose to comply, and now here we are.

A Total Flop Era for Developer Freedom

For developers of adult games, the situation is dire. The vagueness of Rule 15 has created a climate of pure fear. How can you create a game when you have no idea if it will be delisted overnight without warning? You can't. It's giving major “chilling effect” energy, where devs will likely self-censor or just give up on making adult content for Steam altogether.

For those who already got delisted, the financial hit is real and devastating. Being kicked off Steam is a death sentence for many small indie studios. To make it worse, there's a huge concern that this rule will be applied inconsistently. A massive AAA game with some spicy scenes will probably be fine, but a small, indie visual novel? It’s basically target practice. The double standard is screaming.

Welcome to the Era of Financial Censorship 🫠

Let's call it what it is: financial censorship. This is where private companies, with no public accountability, get to control what you see and buy by threatening to cut off services. It raises a huge question: who should get to decide what’s acceptable? Should it be Valve, the platform we all use? The government? Or should it be a handful of corporate suits in a boardroom who think a 2D drawing is a high-risk asset?

For years, Steam felt like one of the last bastions of openness on the internet, a place where creativity, even the weird and niche stuff, could find a home. This policy change feels like a betrayal of that ethos. It inserts a powerful, conservative, and profit-driven middleman into the creator-platform relationship.

So yeah, the future of Steam as an “open platform” is looking kinda sus. By handing the keys to payment processors, Valve has kicked off a debate that isn’t ending anytime soon. The long-term damage to developer freedom and content diversity on PC is yet to be seen, but bestie, it’s not looking good.