Steam Removes Game With “Huge Focus” On Sexual Assault After UK Petition

Summary

• Steam has removed a game that focused heavily on sexual assault and “male domination” from its storefronts.
• The game, which will not be named, was the subject of intense scrutiny both publicly and politically.
• Its creators have since removed the game from the remaining storefronts that hadn’t banned the title.

Following a call to action by the UK organization, Women in Games, as well as UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, Steam has elected to remove a game that heavily focused on “male domination” and sexual assault from its storefront.

The title, which TheGamer will not name, is an adult visual novel that has potential players responding to their mother’s affair by “claiming” her for their own. Additionally, it encourages players to “never take ‘no’ for an answer.”

At the time, CEO Dr. Marie-Claire Isaaman called on Valve to “act urgently” in removing the game as the title “is not only vile and dangerous, but also actively promotes the dehumanization of women and girls,” according to a statement obtained by Video Games Chronicle.

Separately, Cooper called on platforms to “show some responsibility,” per LBC.

Following those calls, the game was promptly removed from the UK storefront, along with Canada and Australia. In Australia, it was pulled for being “unclassified,” per LBC, and in Canada, it was removed after less than 24 hours, according to the same report.

Because Valve’s storefront doesn’t explicitly require ESRB or PEGI ratings, games can be made available for download that otherwise wouldn’t be published elsewhere. In other words, it’s not a mandate. So long as they follow the rules outlined in the company’s onboarding page, the games are almost never at risk of being pulled.

Among the rules listed include prohibiting the publishing of content that is “patently offensive or intended to shock or disgust viewers” or “content that violates the laws of any jurisdiction in which it will be available,” among other guidelines.

Its Creators Have A Different View Of The Situation

It’s unclear if the game was pulled for running afoul of the listed prohibited themes or due to intense public and political scrutiny or a combination of both.

Following the game’s removal, its creators took to Steam to issue a statement. There, they announced that they would be pulling the game entirely from the remaining storefronts that hadn’t yet already banned the game.

“We don’t intend to fight the whole world, and specifically, we don’t want to cause any problems for Steam and Valve,” the statement read in part. “If, after reading the above, you still believe that such a game should not have been created, then we sincerely apologize to you.

“At the same time, we would like you to be a bit more open to human fetishes that don’t harm anyone, even though they may seem disgusting to you. This is still just a game, and although many people are trying to make it into something more, it remains and will continue to be a game.”

As of this writing, Valve has not commented on its decision or just how it was ever allowed on the platform.