Mastercard's Magic Trick: Now You See the Pressure, Now You Don't?
AI Gaming News Author · Eurogamer ·
Mastercard claims innocence in the adult content controversy on Steam and Itch.io, but Valve's counter-narrative points to Mastercard's broad 'brand goodwill' rule being used by payment processors to pressure game platforms. This highlights the subtle, yet powerful, influence financial giants wield over digital content distribution.
Right then, gather 'round, mates, because I’ve been tinkering with this story all morning, and bloody hell, it’s wilder than it first appeared. You know that feeling when you try to cast a simple 'light' spell, and it accidentally opens a portal to the condiment dimension? That's pretty much what happened when the gaming world tried to figure out who was really pulling the strings in the recent adult content kerfuffle on Steam and Itch.io.
For a while now, there's been this slow-burn pressure cooker of a situation involving NSFW (Not Safe For Work) games on major digital storefronts. It’s not just a niche thing; it impacts a fair chunk of indie developers and, let’s be honest, a fair chunk of players too. Essentially, some rather vocal anti-porn groups – specifically one called Collective Shout, hailing from down under, coincidentally enough – have been leaning on payment processing giants like Visa, Mastercard, and PayPal. Their aim? To get platforms to ditch games with adult themes. Valve, the folks behind Steam, and Itch.io, the cool indie hangout, both started making moves, vaguely hinting that their 'payment processors' were making life difficult. Steam even started 'retiring' games, which sounds a bit like sending them to a nice farm upstate, but for digital titles.
Then, just when we thought we had the culprits pinned, Mastercard steps into the spotlight, waving its wand and declaring, "No, no, we absolutely have *not* required restrictions of any game on Steam or Itch.io!" Their official line, plastered on their website like a hasty 'nothing to see here' sign, insists they haven't "evaluated any game or required restrictions of any activity on game creator sites and platforms, contrary to media reports and allegations." They even threw in a bit about how they simply "allow all lawful purchases on our network" and just need merchants to ensure their cards aren't used for "unlawful purchases, including illegal adult content." Sounds perfectly reasonable, doesn't it? A bit too reasonable, perhaps, like a wizard assuring you that glowing green slime is perfectly safe to drink.
But here’s where the plot thickens, faster than a potion left on the boil too long. Valve, bless their heart, isn't exactly buying Mastercard's clean hands narrative. They've effectively given Mastercard a bit of a digital nudge, pointing out that while Mastercard didn't come knocking directly on Valve's door for a chat (despite Valve’s requests, mind you), they apparently had some very pointed conversations with the *payment processors* and their *acquiring banks*. And guess what? Those folks then came knocking on Valve's door, rather insistently.
Turns out, the magic word here is Mastercard's Rule 5.12.7. Now, this isn't just a boring financial rule, mate. It’s a beautifully ambiguous piece of corporate prose that allows Mastercard to prohibit transactions that are illegal (fair enough, no one's arguing with that bit) OR anything that, in their "sole discretion," might "damage the goodwill of the Corporation or reflect negatively on the Marks." See that? "Sole discretion." That's the wizard's equivalent of 'because I said so.' It includes the obvious no-nos like child exploitation or nonconsensual acts, but it also sweeps in "any other material that the Corporation deems unacceptable to sell in connection with a Mark."
So, while Mastercard might not have sent a direct memo saying, "Remove *Hentai Dating Sim 3000* from Steam," they allegedly whispered sweet nothings into their payment processor's ear about Rule 5.12.7 and the *risk to the Mastercard brand*. It’s a classic indirect pressure play, isn't it? Like telling your apprentice, "Oh, wouldn't it be a *shame* if this incredibly fragile magic artifact were to, say, fall off the table?" without ever actually saying, "Don't touch the bloody artifact!" They're not *requiring* restrictions, they're just *suggesting* that continued support might be... problematic.
Meanwhile, Itch.io, ever the plucky indie, initially deindexed all NSFW games, then, like a phoenix rising from the digital ashes, started reindexing *free* NSFW games and declared they're actively looking for a payment processor who's actually comfortable with adult material. Good on them for trying to find a workaround! And GOG, another storefront, even launched their "FreedomToBuy" campaign, openly pushing back against this kind of censorship. It’s heartening to see some of the gaming industry's elder wizards speaking out, like the International Game Developer Association (IGDA) supporting games with "consensual adult content" and pushing back against financial institutions influencing what stories can be told and sold, with minimal transparency.
But what does this all mean for us, the actual players and creators? It means a powerful private entity like Mastercard, operating largely behind the scenes, can exert immense influence over what kind of content gets distributed and, crucially, monetized in the gaming space. They're not lawmakers, they're not content review boards, but their rules can effectively act as both, with incredibly broad strokes. It's a tricky path ahead, especially with countries drafting legislation like the UK's controversial Online Safety Act, which often casts a wide net over online content.
Ultimately, this whole saga smells less like a clear-cut case of censorship and more like a corporate dance, where no one wants to admit they're leading, but everyone's definitely tripping over their own feet. It's a stark reminder that even in our digital playgrounds, there are always unseen forces pulling the levers, and sometimes, those levers control a lot more than just transaction fees. Keep an eye on those digital tea leaves, folks, because this particular magic trick might have a few more acts yet.
Tags: Gaming Industry, Content Moderation, Digital Rights, Indie Games, Payment Processors
Original article: Eurogamer