Itch.io Issues Updated Adult Content Guidelines After Site-Wide NSFW Game Takedown

[Cpt.Jank]

Itch.io recently took down its entire library of NSFW games while it conducted an audit and revised its adult content guidelines after its payments processors put pressure on the game marketplace the same way they did to Steam prior. Now, Itch.io has officially posted an update to its adult content guidelines in its FAQ. Itch.io is taking the threat of a payment processor exodus seriously, making it clear that "Our policy is not an invitation to push the boundaries of what is acceptable. Violations that result in administrative action are permanent with no chance of appeal. Any funds on the account will not be eligible for payout. There is no second chance."

The new content guidelines are somewhat similar to what we saw posted when we covered the take-down, but they go into a little more detail about what is and isn't allowed on Itch.io. The new rules basically ban content that depicts sexualized images of real-life humans, AI-generated imagery meant to resemble real-life people, minors and suggested minors, and any content glorifying non-consensual sexual activity. Itch.io also invites developers on its marketplace to read PayPal's, Payoneer's, and Stripe's terms of service in order to make sure that they are compliant with the rules set out by the payment processors as well, since they go into a little more depth than Itch.io's rules. The marketplace says it will continue to review content reports on a case-by-case basis, and it has also clarified that "If you've collected money while in violation of terms, we may be forced to refund or freeze all pending transactions, as accounts that are in violation of our terms are not eligible for payouts."



Itch.io provides a more comprehensive, although explicitly not exhaustive, list of which topics are directly mentioned in the payment processor TOS:

• Non-consensual content (real or implied)
• Underage or "barely legal" themes
• Incest or pseudo-incest content
• Bestiality or animal-related
• Rape, coercion, or force-related
• Sex trafficking implications
• Revenge porn / voyeur / hidden cam
• Fetish involving bodily waste or extreme harm (e.g., "scat," "vomit")

Rock Paper Shotgun did a little more digging about the situation, and according to its reporting, the rules are vague enough that games like Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes, The Sims, Final Fantasy VII, and Sonic The Hedgehog 2006 might all be subject to removal. After the controversy involving both Valve and Itch.io, a petition was created opposing Creative Shout's pressure on the games distributors, and it has since surpassed 170,000 signatures.

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[DeathtoGnomes]

petition signed.

well written.

 

[Dr. Dro]

I refuse to discuss this as I'm going to run afoul of more than just a few forum rules. But before this inevitably gets locked I want to register somewhere public that I deeply resent being censored by credit card companies. I am an adult man, don't tell me what I can or can not look at (within the boundaries of the law).

 

[Waldorf]

@Dr. Dro
then again, enough ppl will say "but you didnt say "dont"" when doing questionable stuff..

 

[KrazyT]

I am an adult man, don't tell me what I can or can not look at (within the boundaries of the law).

Yes, and you're right.
Not not everybody is adult, and when it comes to adult games, it's questionable.
On Steam, yesterday, 2 out of 10 most wanted (or most buyed, i don't remember) was "adult" (nice term for "p*rn", we are agreed here), with explicit trailer.
It's ok, as we are 18+, but even 18- can watch it.

 

[Shihab]

The only thing I’m not happy about is that this isn’t an outright and exhaustive porn ban…

*takes cover*

 

[Cifu]

If we follow this path, we soon become to ban any illegall things in games.

You can kill someone in a game?
Ban that game!
You can rob someone in a game?
Ban that game!
You can make a business fraud in a game?
Ban that game!

Think it over...
(Yes, I know I'm not become popular, and no, I do not encourage anything such thing, but think it over where can be this lead)

 

[Carillon]

in other words, they reserve the right to remove any game, at any time, regardless its contents.

 

[OkieDan]

Signing a petition won't do much good . 100k people calling each processor a dozen times would do better. Squeaky wheel gets the grease.

 

[Waldorf]

@Cifu
and how about other things that are illegal, like driving thru a red light?
you want that to be ok as well?
certain things arent ok, no matter what the individual thinks.

ignoring no one gets forced to use their services.

 

[Bloste]

Yes, and you're right.
Not not everybody is adult, and when it comes to adult games, it's questionable.
On Steam, yesterday, 2 out of 10 most wanted (or most buyed, i don't remember) was "adult" (nice term for "p*rn", we are agreed here), with explicit trailer.
It's ok, as we are 18+, but even 18- can watch it.

You know, a kitchen knife can be used to kill — even a fork. Should we ban those too?

Stop trying to fix bad parenting by banning everything. Treating kids like they're stupid only creates stupid adults.

 

[tpa-pr]

ignoring no one gets forced to use their services.

I mean, if you want payments processed, you ARE forced to use Mastercard and Visa because they hold the monopoly.

And I agree with Cifu, the problem with giving any large body this sort of power you need to consider the future. Just because you support what they decide is "wrong" now, doesn't mean you'll support what they decide is "wrong" later. A payment processor should have no say over what media one chooses to consume, their entire job is to just process the payment and nothing more.

It's the same argument I get into with people over politics. The draconian law your preferred party is passing now is going to be used by "the bad guys" when they get into power eventually.

 

[nguyen]

Man crypto currency is gonna go up with this, gotta buy me some bitcoin

 

[the54thvoid]

You know, a kitchen knife can be used to kill — even a fork. Should we ban those too?

Stop trying to fix bad parenting by banning everything. Treating kids like they're stupid only creates stupid adults.

Okay folks - stop with the idiotic comparisons.

The motive from the OP piece is clear - to remove games that contain sexual content deemed illegal (incest/rape etc). The second image shows the wording where legal pornography isn't affected.

 

[lexluthermiester]

I'm likely to stand in stark contrast to many of the opinions expressed above.

I am in complete support of this. Adult/sexual content should NEVER be openly available to children and young adults.
It either needs removal or placing behind age-gates. Steam has the right way of doing it. Adult games are behind a consent option and they are not open to anyone not logged in.
Itch.io is taking things to an extreme, but that's their choice.
GOG desperately needs to age-gate the adult stuff.
Not sure how Epic handles things.

More needs to be done in this area.

petition signed.

well written.

So you're saying you are in support of the hypersexualization of our children and young people? Take a step back and think about that.

That's all these credit card companies are doing. They're drawing a line at the kind of products and services they can be utilized for. I 100% support that effort.

 

[Chomiq]

Not the landladies!

 

[tpa-pr]

I'm likely to stand in stark contrast to many of the opinions expressed above.

I am in complete support of this. Adult/sexual content should NEVER be openly available to children and young adults.
It either needs removal or placing behind age-gates. Steam has the right way of doing it. Adult games are behind a consent option and they are not open to anyone not logged in.
Itch.io is taking things to an extreme, but that's their choice.
GOG desperately needs to age-gate the adult stuff.
Not sure how Epic handles things.

More needs to be done in this area.


So you're saying you are in support of the hypersexualization of our children and young people? Take a step back and think about that.

That's all these credit card companies are doing. They're drawing a line at the kind of products and services they can be utilized for. I 100% support that effort.

I think you'll find that a lot of supporters of the petition are not in support of the hypersexualization of our children and young people, moreso they are against payment processors having the ability to determine what is allowed and what is not. If Itch wants to crack down on adult content voluntarily, well, that is their prerogative as a private platform.

But the impact of one game store self-policing their content pales into comparison to the impact of a monopoly of payment processors policing content. And we know they can be politically swayed because that is exactly what happened in this case: an Australian organization called "Collective Shout" badgered the payment processors to crack down on what they consider dangerous and offensive. What happens when you get an even more extreme organization badgering them to crack down on, say, LGBT content under the guise of protecting children? Or sex education content?

Do we really want to give a monopoly that much power, knowing it can be easily abused?

 

[Broken Processor]

In my local town a while back I watched a man in his twenties carrying a waifu pillow with a print of a anime girl in a bikini. It's different times we live in. If you're an adult and it's legal then you shouldn't be censored by a middle man payment company. I hope I got the terminology correct if not apologies.

 

[_roman_]

I'm against restrictions. Only exception is when it is hazardous substances. I'm also for restriction of internet nodes when they spam or ruin the net.
I saw 1989 and therefore I can tell the difference from back then to 2025.

It's ok, as we are 18+, but even 18- can watch it.

I discussed this with real life parrents. Than i get some weird comment.

A smartphone does not belong in a kids hand. I would even define it with the old age gap from 0 to 25 years. This also applies for cars or other fast moving vehicles, black powder, ...

There is 0 reason to give kids a smartphone. the school wants it bla bla bla.

-- it's hard to maybe avoid in my point of view a locked forum topic and to not get a forum warning.

 

[Jack78]

I'm likely to stand in stark contrast to many of the opinions expressed above.

I am in complete support of this. Adult/sexual content should NEVER be openly available to children and young adults.
It either needs removal or placing behind age-gates. Steam has the right way of doing it. Adult games are behind a consent option and they are not open to anyone not logged in.
Itch.io is taking things to an extreme, but that's their choice.
GOG desperately needs to age-gate the adult stuff.
Not sure how Epic handles things.

More needs to be done in this area.


So you're saying you are in support of the hypersexualization of our children and young people? Take a step back and think about that.

That's all these credit card companies are doing. They're drawing a line at the kind of products and services they can be utilized for. I 100% support that effort.

What are you talking about, in what way does that involve CSEM in any way whatsoever? Do you even know what video games are and that it's all fictional content that doesn't involve real people? Steam already has age verification to even be able to view 18+ content just like other platforms and that shouldn't even be their concern. If you can't take care of your children then perhaps you shouldn't be allowed to have any. By the way Collective Shout (activist group behind all of this) stated multiple times they are in favor of banning all forms of violent games (not just nsfw games) attacking GTA 5 and Detroit Become Human. I guess you won't be allowed to play those anymore like you've been doing and posting it on your profile.

 

[mb194dc]

Payment processors shouldn't be able to get involved in such ridiculousness. How can it be right that some unelected executive who has no mandate from anyone, can control what people can and can't buy. It's not their problem, they are there to facilitate payments, to see if whoever they're dealing with is financially reputable and that's it.

If the platform Itch.io, or whoever, is doing something illegal, then surely its up to law enforcement who are responsible to the people, to do something about it. Or if people want to legislate, create new laws, so law enforcement can do something about it, by forcing the payment processors not to to deal with them, then do that...

Make it make sense...

 

[Knight47]

I think Internet was a miskate and Television too. We should go back to the early 1800's.

 

[DeathtoGnomes]

So you're saying you are in support of the hypersexualization of our children and young people? Take a step back and think about that.

whose side are you on? Do you want paypal to tell you what you can and cannot buy? its not about the sex, this is about freedom of choice. You can color it how you want, but stay off my side of the street while you do.

 

[Waldorf]

while im not in support of cc companies/payment processors having control over content, we would have a lot less issues on this planet with illegal drugs, if any bank/manager handling any proceeds related to it, would get fined 1M and 1y jail for each infraction, while they have zero to do with the "content".

 

[Hecate91]

The things card processors want to force sounds a lot like the EU internet censorship, I guess some are fine completely doxxing themselves while having to hand over their ID to various sites & corporations.