Valve Imposes New Restrictions on Early Access Games with Mature Content

Valve has allegedly ceased to allow games featuring mature themes to be released in early access. According to Dammitbird, as reported by GamesMarkt, the adult game Heavy Hearts was rejected by Valve's review process last month due to the company's inability to support the Early Access development model for games with mature content. The developer was instead invited to resubmit the game once it was ready for a full launch, bypassing Early Access. Although Valve has not provided a detailed explanation for this change, nor clarified what specifically constitutes 'mature themes', it is believed to be part of a broader effort by digital storefronts like Steam and itch.io to moderate adult content. This move follows pressure from payment processors and conservative activists. The developer of Heavy Hearts expressed concern over the sudden change in policy, stating, 'Due to current events, I panicked and contacted my publisher to help me get on Steam Early Access... But now, all of a sudden and without a policy announcement, the rules have changed and now I can't join Steam EA.' The game remains available on itch.io, though it is de-indexed, making it inaccessible through search. The developer also highlighted the challenges of promoting games on platforms that deboost mentions of Patreon or other social media, further complicating the situation. GamesIndustry.biz has sought clarification from Valve and will provide updates upon receiving a response. This development follows itch.io's decision in July to de-index all adult NSFW content from its browse and search pages, a move that came after an open letter from Collective Shout called for action against 'payment processors profiting from rape, incest and child abuse games on Steam.' For a deeper dive into the situation surrounding Steam and itch.io's crackdown on adult content, refer to our feature article.