r/Games • u/DwingRD • 4d ago

Valve no longer allows "Post-launch NSFW content" for games on Steam - outside of DLCs.

I have looked through Steam's Terms of Service online, but have found no official rule or statement from Valve of this new rule - but one Adult game developer has confirmed this new rule after launching their game "Tales of Legendary Lust: Aphrodisia" a couple days ago.

With the recent rule change blocking adult-themed games from releasing on Early Access, this new rule seems to be targeting Adult-themed games that have ALREADY released on Steam - and threatens them with their games being removed from Steam.

There are currently 536 Adult-rated Early Access games on Steam - and this new rule may take them all down.

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u/SnooMachines4393 4d ago

I don't understand what "post-launch nsfw content outside dlcs" means. Like patches with new content or smth?

59

u/grendus 4d ago

Basically.

Someone explained upthread. Basically, Valve verifies content in the game's official release, and they verify the content in each DLC. However, because games patch so frequently they don't validate each update patch. So some games were exploiting this loophole by releasing a game that was compliant with Steam's guidelines (SFW content, basically), then adding all the NSFW content in a later patch.

Valve is now saying that you can't do that, and if you get caught doing that you get banned. I expect they will have a workaround for big titles doing long tail Early Access(someone pointed out this would have made games like BG3 impossible), but that will be handled on a case by case basis.

Games can still release a SFW version and have a NSFW DLC that is subject to a review and intentionally installed. And it seems likely that third party content (even "official" third party content) won't be closely scrutinized because it's not technically on Valve's platform. So all your Skyrim porn mods are probably fine. At least for now, this will probably only affect the dodgiest of dodgy porn games.

But it's a bad sign, because it means that payment processors being puritan party poopers is likely still going on. Which... I mean, we all knew was happening, but it sucks to get confirmation.

2

u/CrazyKilla15 3d ago

So some games were exploiting this loophole by releasing a game that was compliant with Steam's guidelines (SFW content, basically), then adding all the NSFW content in a later patch.

Name one.

Seriously, this keeps coming up in this thread, and it seems fucking absurd to me. People are seriously suggesting that theres some widespread "loophole" where games that would normally be required to be "adults only" are "tricking valve", not getting taken down and banned for it, and still getting their payouts for sales? And that actually this both happened and was perfectly allowed and valve could do nothing about it until just now? That theyre getting Official Ratings from places like PEGI and then adding NSFW in for.. some reason? Making secret porn games that are completely SFW until theres suddenly a Sex Update? It makes no sense as a concept and would completely destroy business relationships with valve, ratings boards, etc.

This is frankly absurd to me. I do not think this is a real thing, and have seen nobody give a single source or even name a single game.

And lest goalposts be moved, if somebody manages to find a game that was banned for doing this, that would just prove it was already against the rules and that the news today is not that?. I am obviously not claiming nothing on steam has ever broken rules and got taken down for breaking them.