Mastercard vs. Valve: who's really behind the removal of NSFW games from Steam
The conflict between game developers, Steam and Mastercard continues to gain momentum. Mastercard has stated that it does not directly pressure game platforms on content that is "unacceptable for the brand". But Valve claims otherwise: it was Mastercard's rules that caused the removal of NSFW games.
What happened
In recent months, several developers have reported that their visual novel titles were removed from Steam for reasons that aren't entirely transparent. When they contacted Valve support, they received the wording: the content violates the payment systems' requirements, specifically Mastercard's regarding "risk to brand reputation".
Mastercard responds that they only communicate general "compliance standards" but do not decide which games violate the rules. Decisions, they say, are made by payment intermediaries and the platforms themselves.
Valve in turn claims that these intermediaries have explicitly referenced Mastercard's policies. Although the company does not directly moderate content, it is obliged to comply with the terms of the payment infrastructure - in order not to lose the ability to process transactions.
What this means in practice is this: even if a game doesn't break the law or Steam's rules, it can be removed if the payment system deems it "reputationally sensitive."
Source: TechCrunch
