Itch.io's it’s forced Adult Game Ban is Reportedly now Affecting lgbtq+ SFW Titles
Well, here’s a shocker for absolutely no one: the clumsy, corporate-mandated purge of adult content on Itch.io is now apparently sweeping up games that aren't even explicit. In the latest chapter of this mess, LGBTQ+ developers are reporting that their completely safe-for-work titles are being deindexed and hidden from the storefront, seemingly for the simple crime of featuring lesbian or yuri themes.
The Slippery Slope in Action
This whole fiasco kicked off last month when payment processors, allegedly spooked by an Australian protest group, decided they were too pure to handle money from "adult" games anymore. This led to a predictable corporate panic, with both Itch.io and Steam cracking down on their content policies. While Itch has since allowed free NSFW games back onto the platform, paid ones remain in limbo as the storefront desperately seeks new payment partners. Now, we're seeing the inevitable collateral damage, and it’s hitting the very creators who made the platform a haven to begin with.
"I Suspect It's Because They're Yuri Games"
According to an extensive and frankly heartbreaking report from Trans News Network, multiple LGBTQ+ developers are finding their SFW work caught in the net. Developer krispycat, after having an NSFW demo removed, found that three of their SFW yuri games: Wendy, Warm, and Like Seafoam, had also vanished from search suggestions. "I suspect it's because they're yuri games," they stated, adding, "I am concerned that my audience will be severely cut".
This doesn't seem to be an isolated incident. The report also notes that the Toxic Yuri Game Jam, a community event, has allegedly had over half of its 200-plus entries delisted from the platform. Whether this is a deliberate targeting (Which knowing itch, I honestly doubt) or the result of a ham-fisted algorithm throwing a wide, indiscriminate net, the outcome is the same: people’s life-hoods are getting destroyed.
"A Renaissance of Queer Works" Is Under Threat
For years, Itch.io has been more than just a simple storefront; it became a vital hub for any and every creator, a place where anyone could share their work without fear. This latest move, regardless of the corporate pressures behind it, feels like a profound betrayal to many.
Developer Taylor McCue captured the sentiment perfectly: "I got to see Itch become a renaissance of queer works and community. I viewed it as an art movement and a potential future that I was a part of". Her conclusion hits like a ton of bricks. "The pessimistic part of me knew this day would come, but I didn’t think it would come so soon. When it did come I thought Itch would at least email me or something".
A blunt instrument designed to appease payment processors is now silencing creators and gutting a vibrant community. In its scramble to solve a financial problem, Itch.io is in real danger of destroying its own soul as it tries to survive the forced cencorship.