Itch.io, the indie gaming marketplace known for hosting adult and experimental content, has suddenly removed adult games from its browse and search pages.
The move comes after pressure from payment processors, according to platform creator Leaf Corcoran.
“Our ability to process payments is critical,” Corcoran explained in a blog post, adding that maintaining relationships with payment providers required “immediate steps toward compliance.”
No warning was given to developers before the deindexing. Many adult and pornographic titles, often top-sellers on the platform, now risk permanent removal. It’s also unclear whether paid customers can still access affected titles.
The situation echoes recent actions by Steam and past decisions by Tumblr, where credit card companies like Visa and Mastercard forced stricter content policies. Steam, for instance, quietly updated its guidelines last week to ban content potentially violating payment rules.
Itch.io has not yet offered clear guidance for creators. The platform is currently reviewing all NSFW content and says new compliance policies will follow once the audit concludes.
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Unless handled carefully, the crackdown may push creators and users to seek alternative platforms—echoing Tumblr’s 2018 mass exodus.
