Valve point to Mastercard restrictions as the payment firm deny influencing adult game removals

Valve point to Mastercard restrictions as the payment firm deny influencing adult game removals | Rock Paper Shotgun

Mastercard say they're not to blame for Steam's NSFW game cull, but Valve claim that payment processors cited specific Mastercard rules as a pressuring tactic.

rockpapershotgun.com

Valve insists it wasn’t their own morality at play but payment processors waving Mastercard’s Rule 5.12.7—an obscure clause letting them block any “lawful” transaction that might “damage” their brand—when they pressured Steam to delist adult/NSFW games. Mastercard flat-out denies ever telling anyone to yank those titles, saying they allow all legal transactions.

Meanwhile, Stripe points the finger at its own banking partners, and activist group Collective Shout claims credit for the crackdown. In the end Steam caved, but Itch.io quietly relisted dozens of free adult projects and is now on the hunt for more NSFW-friendly payment options.