Itch.io Removes Adult Content Index from Its Platform

This decision was announced by Itch.io founder, Leaf Corcoran, through an official blog post on Thursday, July 24, 2025. According to Corcoran, the action was forced to maintain ongoing cooperation with major payment service providers such as Visa and Mastercard, which have strict policies against transactions involving adult or potentially illegal material.

The main reason behind this new policy is the payment processors’ concerns about the nature of some content on the platform. Corcoran stated that Itch.io’s ability to process payments is the “lifeblood” for creators who rely on income from the platform. By complying with payment partners’ demands, Itch.io hopes to prevent access termination that could potentially kill the adult game developers’ businesses.

This decision surprised many creators because it was made without prior notice. Several of the most popular titles on Itch.io, especially visual novel and erotic games, are now missing from search listings, and it is reported that some may be permanently removed. So far, it is unclear whether buyers who have already paid for adult games can still download and play them after this policy is implemented.

Itch.io’s move follows in Steam’s footsteps, which the previous week also blocked similar content after pressure from Australia’s anti-pornography group, Collective Shout. According to PC Gamer reports, the group managed to encourage hundreds of people to contact Visa, Mastercard, and PayPal to protest the presence of material considered to contain sexual violence or child exploitation. Steam then overhauled its guidelines and removed many adult titles, sparking fierce debate within the gaming community.

In response to criticism, Itch.io announced it will conduct a thorough audit of all adult content on the platform and promised to introduce new “compliance measures.” One of these includes requiring NSFW content creators to confirm that their works comply with the policies of the payment providers they use. However, further details regarding the allowed content categories or evaluation criteria have not yet been announced, so many developers are still waiting for clarity before deciding on the continuation of their projects.