Valve appears to have quietly updated its Steam Early Access policy to no longer accept games with mature themes.
The decision comes in the wake of pressure from payment processors against adult content on digital storefronts like Steam and itch.io.
Dammitbird, developer of the adult game Heavy Hearts, applied for Steam Early Access but failed review “because we’re unable to support the Early Access model of development for a game with mature themes”, according to a notice from Valve they shared on social media.
“Due to current events, I panicked and contacted my publisher to help me get on Steam Early Access,” Dammitbird told GamesMarkt. “The general rule is that your game should be about 65 percent done before doing EA. Well, we are about 70 percent done so the time was right anyway. But now, all of a sudden and without a policy announcement, the rules have changed and now I can’t join Steam EA”.”
Valve updated its vague guidelines back in July around what sort of content was allowed on Steam.
“We were recently notified that certain games on Steam may violate the rules and standards set forth by our payment processors and their related card networks and banks,” a Valve spokesperson told Eurogamer. “As a result, we are retiring those games from being sold on the Steam Store, because loss of payment methods would prevent customers from being able to purchase other titles and game content on Steam.”
Now, it seems, this has been extended to include Early Access games. However, it remains unclear exactly what constitutes adult content.
Heavy Hearts, for instance, includes pornographic content, so it’s assumed this isn’t accepted in Steam Early Access.
But where does Valve draw the line? Baldur’s Gate 3, for instance, includes sexual content and is listed on Steam as a mature game that’s age restricted. Would Larian’s game – celebrated for its gradual development through Steam Early Access – be allowed under these new rules?
Eurogamer has contacted Valve for clarification on what games are eligible for Steam Early Access.
Pressure from payment processors isn’t just impacting pornogrpahic content on steam and itch. Eurogamer recently spoke to queer developers who’ve been caught up in the recent rule changes after itch.io’s blanket de-indexing of adult content.
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