Indie game marketplace Itch.io begins restoring deleted adult games and other content



Itch.io, an indie game marketplace that has been cracking down on adult content due to pressure from payment processors, has revealed that it is re-indexing the adult content it had previously removed. However, only free content will be re-indexed, and the company is currently in discussions with payment processors regarding the handling of paid content.

Reindexing adult NSFW content - Developer Updates - itch.io

https://itch.io/t/5149036/reindexing-adult-nsfw-content

Itch.io starts reindexing free NSFW content
https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/itchio-starts-reindexing-free-nsfw-content-152431716.html

According to Itch.io, in order for deleted content to be included in the re-indexing process, 'No Payment' must be selected in the 'Pricing' section of the project edit page in the dashboard. Note that changing this setting will make the entire project 'free.'



In parallel with this, a new 'content warning' system has been introduced for pages tagged as NSFW (not suitable for work), and all page owners will need to update their pages to comply with this new system before they can be reindexed.

However, Itch.io also revealed that, following discussions with its payment processor, Stripe, it will no longer be able to sell games that are deemed 'designed for sexual pleasure.' This is due to new restrictions put in place by Stripe's banking partners.

In a statement announcing the update, Itch.io said that Stripe has not completely ruled out the possibility of resuming support for adult content in the future, but added that it is in talks with other providers to process credit card payments that Stripe can no longer process.

Regarding the rumor that gaming platforms' restrictions on adult content are a result of requests from credit card companies, major credit card company Mastercard responded on August 1, 2025, saying, 'Contrary to media reports and allegations, we have never requested game creator sites or platforms to review or restrict any games.' 'The Mastercard network allows all legal purchases. At the same time, we require merchants to take appropriate measures to prevent Mastercard cards from being used for illegal purchases, particularly those involving illegal adult content.'



However, in response to Mastercard's rebuttal, Valve, the operator of Steam, stated that Mastercard did not respond to direct contact and that payment processors had refused to process the payments, citing Mastercard's terms and conditions.

Mastercard Denies Pressuring Steam To Censor 'NSFW' Games
https://kotaku.com/mastercard-denies-pressuring-steam-to-censor-nsfw-games-2000614393

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in Game, Posted by logc_nt