25.07.2025
2 min
591
After a wave of criticism surrounding the game No Mercy, which promoted rape and incest, popular indie gaming platforms Itch.io and Steam have urgently removed or hidden all NSFW content. The reason was the requirements of payment systems, including PayPal, Visa and Mastercard, which expressed dissatisfaction with the presence of violent content on the platforms.
The scandalous game No Mercy, developed by Zerat Games, caused a public outcry due to plots depicting sexual violence against family members. The game was briefly available on Steam and Itch.io before both platforms removed it from access. At the same time, Itch.io said that it had “de-indexed” all NSFW content, removing it from search and viewing, in order to protect cooperation with payment partners.
The platform also said that it was reviewing all content and preparing new requirements for NSFW games. Developers whose games do not meet the requirements will receive an email notification, and some pages will be permanently deleted. Similar actions have been observed on Steam, although the platform has not officially commented on the situation.
The game No Mercy came into the spotlight after a story on the British radio station LBC, which highlighted the availability of an incest and rape simulator in free access. In response, anti-violence organizations, including Collective Shout, addressed payment systems with an open letter demanding a response. The game’s developers then removed it from Steam themselves, stating that “it’s just a game”, calling for “openness” about fetishes.
The case became a marker for rethinking the boundaries of what is allowed in video games, especially on platforms aimed at the general public. Despite claims of creative freedom, the payment infrastructure remains a pressure point that can fundamentally change the policies of platforms. The No Mercy scandal only accelerated an already existing trend towards stricter moderation of content, particularly of a sexual nature.
