After deindexing NSFW games from search results site-wide due to pressure from payment processors, Itch.io has now begun restoring NSFW games listed as free on the platform.
Itch.io, an indie platform that allows people to host and sell indie a wide range of content, has announced that it will begin restoring NSFW content that it had previously deindexed from site-wide search results.
The catch is that this only applies to games that were listed as free. Paid NSFW games still remain deindexed. The platform’s founder, Leaf Corcoran, said they would be “reintroducing paid content slowly,” to ensure they could “confidently support” in the long term.
Earlier this month, Itch.io removed NSFW content from search results due to pressure from payment processors like Visa and Mastercard, as well as activist groups like Collective Shout.
Both itch.io and Steam banned NSFW content almost abruptly, and the timing has caused a huge enough uproar that a petition against the companies now has more than 200,000 signatures online.
For now, Corcoran said they were still actively searching for alternate payment processors. He also shared a statement from Stripe, which made it clear that the service would not support “content designed for sexual gratification”.
The platform had disabled Stripe payments for games with NSFW content last week. Corcoran said the platform will “review that initial list for potential re-introduction,” now that they have “a more specific definition.”
Meanwhile, creators who want to be eligible for reindexing need to list their content as free.
Vice writer Ana Valens also found herself caught in the crossfire. She and several co-workers resigned in protest after being asked to remove an article on Collective Shout, which described the group as a “radical feminist organization.”
Related Articles
Rohith Bhaskar – Tech Writer – 285 articles published on Notebookcheck since 2024
I might look like a normal human being, but I’m secretly powered by tech news and bad puns. With a soft spot for all things digital, I dive into the world of innovation and bring back stories that make sense to techies and newbies alike.
Rohith Bhaskar, 2025-08- 1 (Update: 2025-08- 1)
