Valve Tightens Steam Early Access: ‘Mature Themes’ Blocked

Valve has reportedly updated its Steam Early Access policy to no longer accept games with what it deems “mature themes.” Developer Dammitbird says its adult adventure Heavy Hearts was rejected from Early Access under the new interpretation. The change follows mounting pressure from payment processors (notably Visa and Mastercard) to limit adults-only content on game marketplaces.

What happened

• Dammitbird’s Heavy Hearts was denied Early Access placement, highlighting the new restriction.
• Payment processors have been pressuring platforms such as Steam and Itch.io since early summer; earlier this year, a title called No Mercy was taken down after intervention from card networks and an Australian anti-porn group.
• Itch.io changed its policies and removed thousands of titles; Steam has also removed hundreds of games as platforms comply with card-brand rules.

Why this matters

Small indie developers are particularly vulnerable. Games with relatively mild sexual content or innuendo (for example, VILE: Exhumed) have been banned or delisted, even when their content is far from explicit adult games. The enforcement path runs through acquiring banks and processors that must adhere to Visa/Mastercard brand-safety and anti-trafficking rules, which can vary by region and bank.

Sources

• GameSpot — “Steam Is No Longer Allowing Adult Games In Early Access” (Sept 2025)
• Rock Paper Shotgun — “Valve appear to be blocking mature themed games from Steam Early Access release” (Sept 2025)

We’ll update this post if Valve clarifies the policy or provides comment. What do you think — should payment networks influence storefront content policies, or is platform-level moderation the right place for these decisions? Share your thoughts below.