The International Game Developers Association (IGDA) released a statement Tuesday calling for “greater transparency and fairness in how adult games are moderated and actioned across major platforms” following the recent delisting and censorship of NSFW, adult-content video games from platforms including Steam and Itch.io.
The IGDA said it was “alarmed by the vague enforcement of policies delisting and deplatforming legal, consensual, and ethically-developed games, especially from LGBTQ+ and marginalized creators.” The removal of these games and change in policy came amid pressure from Itch.io’s payment processors’ objections to the adult-content games.
The game developers organization says “developers deserve clear rules, fair warnings and the right to appeal” in these cases, but notes that IGDA “is advocating for reform, developer voice, and platform accountability, not for the defense of harmful material.”
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IGDA says it is now “gathering anonymized data to assess the real impact of recent content removals” and will be using those results to “inform our advocacy on behalf of affected developers.”
Last week, Itch.io joined Steam in deindexing NSFW games from its browse and search pages following backlash from payment processors.
“We understand this action is sudden and disruptive, and we are truly sorry for the frustration and confusion caused by this change,” Itch.io creator leafo said in a blog post updated July 28.
The post continued: “Recently, we came under scrutiny from our payment processors regarding the nature of some content hosted on itch.io. Due to a game titled ‘No Mercy,’ which was temporarily available on itch.io before being banned back in April, the organization Collective Shout launched a campaign against Steam and itch.io, directing concerns to our payment processors about the nature of certain content found on both platforms.”
See more gaming news from this week in the roundup below.
TRAILERS
VR studio Survios launched the “Evolution” trailer for “Alien: Rogue Incursion – Part One: Evolved Edition” at San Diego Comic-Con.
Per Survios, “Set in the Alien film universe, Alien: Rogue Incursion – Part One sees players suit up as rogue Colonial Marine Zula Hendricks on a mission to the planet Purdan (LV-354) in search of a former squadmate. After a sudden attack, Zula and her Synthetic companion, Davis 01 find themselves in Gemini Exoplanet Solutions’ hauntingly desolate research facility, Castor’s Cradle.”
The new version of the VR game, which has been re-envisioned for PlayStation 5 and PC, will launch Sept. 30.
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Activision debuted the launch trailer for Season 05 for “Call of Duty: Black Ops 6” and “Call of Duty: Warzone,” which will debut Aug. 7.
Per the Microsoft-owned game studio, the update will add four new multiplayer maps, a mix of new and returning modes, the conclusion of the “Black Ops 6” Zombies storyline, an new limited time mode in “Warzone,” and store bundles like “The Replacer Commander Battleman” and “I Know What you Did Last Summer” bundles.
DATA
Developer Mythical revealed that arcade-style mobile football game “FIFA Rivals” has now surpassed 1 million players since its launch last month. Additionally, Mythical says the game has reached 1 million downloads, 5 million matches and 16 million goals.
RELEASE DATES
“EA Sports” announced it is extending the Deluxe Edition early access window for “Madden NFL 26” to seven days, meaning the game will now be available Aug. 7 ahead of its Aug. 15 wide release.
Additionally, EA announced the game will be offered on Amazon Luna at launch, where it is now available for pre-order.
Per EA, “‘Madden NFL 26’ leverages a new AI-powered machine learning system to convert thousands of plays from nearly a decade of real NFL data into more explosive gameplay—with new player-specific traits, authentic play-styles, and adaptive counters that match on-field tendencies and strategies of NFL quarterbacks and coaches.”
EARNINGS
“Subnautica 2” publisher Krafton announced its latest earnings results Tuesday, with South Korea-based company saying it hit its “best-ever first half” of the year. Compared to the same April 1-June 30 period in 2024, Krafton says revenue rose 11.9% and operating profit increased 9.5%.
Per Krafton, “On PC, growth was led by ‘PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS,’ thanks to strong live service updates and the successful introduction of the ‘Contender’ character upgrade system in April.”
“Looking ahead to the second half of 2025, KRAFTON plans to deepen player engagement with high-profile collaborations, including France’s luxury carmaker Bugatti and global K-pop sensation aespa,” the publisher said. “The company also aims to broaden the ‘PUBG’ universe with new games across genres and platforms. ‘PUBG: BLINDSPOT,’ a top-down tactical shooter, will debut globally at Gamescom in August, and the extraction shooter Project Black Budget is set for a closed alpha test later this year.”
COLLABORATIONS
On Tuesday, Grammy Award and Brit Awards-nominated artist FKA Twigs teamed with “The Sims” maker Electronic Arts to debut a music video for “Perfect Stranger” featuring the singer as a Sim.
Per EA, “The Sims 4 Enchanted by Nature Expansion Pack’s world of Innigreen becomes a whirlwind of enchantment as FKA twigs’ Sim flutters through town as the resident matchmaker… bringing together five likely (and unlikely) couples during her escapades… and maybe even running into Mother Nature and Spruce Almighty themselves.”
The video featured content made by creator Solita Sims.
NEW RELEASES
Cozy life sim “Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of the Rings Game” released Tuesday from developer Wētā Workshop and publisher Private Division across PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and S, Nintendo Switch and PC via Steam.
Per Wētā Workshop, “In this heart-warming ‘The Lord of the Rings’ game, live the cosy life of a Hobbit in the wonderfully serene landscape of The Shire. Discover, decorate, and share in this peaceful corner of Middle-earth while playing a big part in helping the quaint town of Bywater flourish. Bring comfort to your home as you decorate your own Hobbit-hole and prepare homemade meals to share with fellow Hobbits. Relish in the outdoors by tending to your garden, fishing at serene ponds, and foraging wild bounty in the peaceful forests. Trade goods amongst townsfolk and foster relationships that turn into forever friendships, all in the town of Bywater. Your arrival marks the start of your story, which you can play at your own pace. It’s up to you to complete the Tales, or simply explore and thrive in your cosy Hobbit life for as long as you wish.”
