The backlash following a recent marketplace crackdown on adult content games, apparently due to pressure from payment processors, led Mastercard to issue a statement on Friday addressing recent headlines. The company clarified, “Mastercard has not evaluated any game or required restrictions on activities on game creator sites and platforms, contrary to media reports and allegations,” adding that merchants must have controls to ensure Mastercard cards are not used for illegal adult content purchases.
This response came after an open letter from the advocacy group Collective Shout addressed to Paypal, Mastercard, Visa, and others, criticizing them for allowing the sale of games like “No Mercy” that depict rape, incest, and child sexual abuse.
Following these events, Steam announced it would ban games violating its payment processors’ rules. Itch.io also said it was removing adult content games from its browse and search pages while conducting a broader audit.
Despite Mastercard’s statement, Steam owner Valve responded with a statement to PC Gamer and other sites, indicating, “Mastercard did not communicate with Valve directly, despite our request to do so. Mastercard communicated with payment processors and their acquiring banks. Payment processors communicated this with Valve, and we outlined Steam’s policy since 2018 of attempting to distribute games that are legal for distribution.” Valve noted that its response was “rejected” by payment processors due to the “risk to the Mastercard brand” and a Mastercard rule against “illegal or brand-damaging transactions.”
Meanwhile, Itch.io announced it is re-indexing free games with adult content while negotiating with payment processors, including Stripe. Stripe stated it is “unable to support sexually explicit content” due to “banking partners.”