Indie game platform Itch.io has taken a major step by removing adult and not-safe-for-work (NSFW) games from its search and browsing features. The decision, according to the company, was made in response to increasing scrutiny from advocacy groups and to safeguard its relationships with key payment partners.
The move follows a campaign led by an advocacy organization that publicly condemned both Itch.io and another major gaming platform for briefly hosting a controversial title, No Mercy, which depicted themes of sexual violence. In a letter to financial giants including Visa, Mastercard, and PayPal, the group called for an end to processing payments for games they said glorify or enable abuse, claiming such titles contradict the broader mission of addressing violence against women.
The pressure appears to have had an impact. One of the leading digital game stores had earlier confirmed that it would begin rejecting games that might conflict with the standards of banks, card networks, or internet service providers. Itch.io echoed that sentiment, stating that to continue offering a platform for all developers, it needed to immediately align with the guidelines of its financial partners.
The game in question, No Mercy, was briefly available on Itch.io before being removed in April. The platform noted that events unfolded quickly, prompting urgent action to protect its payment infrastructure without prior notification to developers.
Currently, Itch.io is conducting a platform-wide audit to verify that all hosted games comply with the terms set by associated payment processors. Until this review is completed, adult content will remain hidden from search and browsing functions. After the audit, developers offering NSFW content must confirm that their games align with the policies of their linked payment providers.
This shift has sparked backlash among parts of the game development community. Some critics pointed out that Itch.io’s terms state that violations involving adult content could lead to a permanent ban without the possibility of appeal, and that affected accounts may forfeit all earnings regardless of whether the funds came from unrelated titles.
This is not the first time online platforms have faced pressure from financial institutions over adult content. Similar scenarios have played out across other creator-focused platforms, including changes to NSFW policies by art marketplaces and subscription-based services often citing payment provider constraints as the cause.
In response to these patterns, a petition on Change.org, now signed by over 137,000 individuals is calling on major payment networks to stop censoring legal fictional works. The petition urges these companies to resist influence from advocacy groups that allegedly promote moral panic or misrepresent artistic content as real-world harm.
