Itch.io and Steam pull NSFW content following No Mercy controversy

The popular game hosting sites, Itch.io and Steam, have pulled their not-safe-for-work (NSFW) content following issues with the “rape game,” No Mercy.

Itch released a statement Thursday updating its users and developers on the current status of NSFW content.

“We have 'deindexed’ all adult NSFW content from our browse and search pages. We understand this action is sudden and disruptive, and we are truly sorry for the frustration and confusion caused by this change,” Itch said.

The video game hosting site allows independent creators and developers to host, sell, and distribute indie titles, but the latest crackdown on NSFW content has made this more complicated.

Itch explained that the site “came under scrutiny” from its payment processors after a game called No Mercy was released on the platform.

Developed by Zerat Games, No Mercy centers around rape and incest for entertainment. The players assume the role of a man who rapes his family members, including his mother and aunt, as punishment for his mother’s infidelity.

The vile and disturbing game was briefly available on Steam and Itch before it was taken offline.

Alongside Itch, Steam the popular gaming storefront developed by Valve is also pulling porn games that have seemingly offended its payment processors.

Collective Shout, an organization that works against the objectification of women and girls, wrote an open letter to Steam and Itch’s payment processors, including the CEO of PayPal, Visa, Mastercard, and other major payment companies, about the violent content on their platforms.

So, to “protect the platform’s core payment infrastructure,” Itch decided to de-list all NSFW content.

“To ensure that we can continue to operate and provide a marketplace for all developers, we must prioritize our relationship with our payment partners and take immediate steps towards compliance,” Itch said.

Itch is auditing the content on its website to make sure it complies with its payment processors.

“Pages will remain deindexed as we complete our review. Once this review is complete, we will introduce new compliance measures.”

From there, there will be different rules for uploading NSFW content. Content creators must make sure that their games follow the requirements of Itch’s payment processors.

“Part of this review will see some pages being permanently removed from itch.io. Affected accounts will be notified via their account’s email address from our support address. You can reply to that email if you have any follow-up questions,” Itch concluded.

What is No Mercy?

No Mercy has been described by developers as a “3D choice-driven adult visual novel with a huge focus on incest and male domination.” The game encourages players to “subdue” and “own” women.

The game was selling for $11.99 for US users before it became no longer available on the platform following public backlash and calls from anti-violence groups to remove it.

The game’s developer, Zerat Games, posted on Steam that they had decided to remove No Mercy, stating that "it is still just a game" and calling critics "to be a bit more open about human fetishes that don't harm anyone, even though they may seem disgusting to you." The developers also said Steam and Valve "do a great job and are incredibly helpful."

The game was first brought to public attention by the UK-based radio station LBC, which reported that an "incest and non-consensual sex" simulator was available on Steam, which is used by millions of users, including children.

The censorship issue

Steam and Itch pulling pornographic content from their sites raises major concerns surrounding the censorship of digital creators.

Collective Shout’s open letter has been regarded as a form of financial censorship, where payment providers end relationships with retailers or individuals based on their beliefs or viewpoints.

Furthermore, Reddit users spoke out against payment providers, essentially silencing independent creators and facilitating a space where censorship can run rampant.

“We're just in the (new) beginning of censorship again, shit will get much worse,” one Reddit user said.

“Letting these companies strong-arm what content people can consume while completely being legal is nothing but censorship from a powerful entity, and we have to fight against this BS,” another Reddit user complained.

Reddit users have complained that payment processors shouldn’t be policing what content people engage with.

While other users have said that the incident with Steam and Itch will set a precedent for other companies that may be open to manipulation by payment processors.