Valve has decided to stop allowing games with "mature themes" to be released in early access

Reports indicate that Valve has ceased allowing games with "mature themes" to enter the early access phase.

According to sources such as Dammitbird and reported by GamesMarkt, the adult-themed game Heavy Hearts was not approved by Valve last month. The rejection was due to their inability to support early access for games with such content. Developers have been asked to submit their games once fully prepared for launch, bypassing early access.

Valve has not clarified the decision to exclude games with mature themes from Early Access, nor has it defined "mature themes." This move seems to align with actions by digital platforms like Steam and itch.io, influenced by pressure from payment gateways and conservative activists advocating for moderation of adult content.

The developer explained to GamesMarkt, “Due to current events, I was compelled to contact my publisher to assist in getting onto Steam Early Access. Our game was about 70% complete, ideally suited for Early Access. But unexpectedly, without an official policy change, our participation was revoked."

The game remains on itch.io but is not searchable due to de-indexing. Difficulties in promoting games on social platforms like X arise because of reduced visibility for mentions of Patreon or similar sites. Previously dismissive of Patreon due to its strict content policies, the developer is now leveraging it, albeit with concerns about potential deplatforming.

GamesIndustry.biz has reached out to Valve seeking further information and promises to update with any new details.

Back in July, criticism from a conservative group, Collective Shout, prompted itch.io to hide all adult NSFW content from its browsing and search features. The letter urged entities like PayPal, Mastercard, Visa, Discover, and Japan Credit Bureau (JCB) to stop processing payments for inappropriate content on Steam.

For a deeper dive into this ongoing issue, explore our piece on Steam and itch.io's restrictions on adult content.