Skip to main content

Indie game storeFree gamesFun gamesHorror games
Game developmentAssetsComics
SalesBundles
Jobs
TagsGame Engines

The Erotica Ban will be the Death of Itch.io

A topic by InkSpider created Jul 24, 2025 Views: 2,017 Replies: 10
Viewing posts 1 to 9
(+36)

Itch.io's discussion to bury all erotic works is, obviously, a disgusting show of disrespect to it creators and utterly unethical.  This is beyond sex-shaming, it is robbing people who create works that bring people enjoyment of their income and their audience.  I will not linger on weighing that ethical judgement, both because I think already gets it, and because it is unlikely to move the money-men who own the site.

So what I will say instead is that, pragmatically, fucking over every erotica creator on the site is an absolutely idiotic move.  Itch.io used to have a genuine niche, both for people looking for a platform to host their erotic games, and for people seeking erotic games.  Their decision will drive both the creators and consumers of erotica away from the site.  If works from creators like mine are being actively sabotaged, why should we continue to share a portion of our sales with Itch.io?  Why should audiences waste their time on a site that makes finding the content they love as hard to find as possible?  Why even waste time on Itch.io when Steam is right there has shown no such hostility towards erotic content?

Itch.io needs to reverse this decision, now, before it alienates the people it depends on to profit any further.  The forums are already drowning in posts like mine decrying the Erotica Ban.  I raise my voice here along so many others because I refuse to let this decision go unchallenged.

Pay attention, Itch.  Your next move can and will be the death of this site.

(+21)

yeah, i seen this and if i cant get what i paid for... itch.io better be refunding me my money so i can give it to the people it belongs to.

(+21)

It doesn't even have to be erotic. I'm pulling my books over this, because they're denying payment to people who until now were compliant with the T&C, and removing content from peoples libraries that they had bought.

If they'll do it to NSFW content, they'll do it to anyone they deem unacceptable. My books have LGBTQIA+ people in them. Who wants to bet they're next?

(+7)

Do you have evidence of them removing stuff from libraries? If people have paid for it, that's worth reporting to the ACCC: https://www.accc.gov.au/about-us/contact-us-or-report-an-issue

(+13)

They literally removed the account of the creator of "a simple life with my unobtrusive sister" with a note saying that it broke the rules regarding "real life people", "or child pornography" which it did neither. This is going to blow up huge in their face... and not the good kind.

(+14)

I've broken $5K in lifetime payouts. The first thing I do tomorrow will be to literally deactivate all of products.

I am telling all of my creator friends to do the same

(+6)

Not all heroes wear capes.

(+8)

I hope you idiots enjoy bankruptcy. They aren't engaging with you fools in good faith. Even if you bend over for them they are still going to cut you off.

(+1)

i remember when gamejolt did the same and it is still running

(+7)

why do we even have this option if they're just going to burn it all down anyway?

Itch and steam are absolute clowns for doing this. The same group pushing for this also pushed for the banning of GTAV and Detroit: Become Human, and now they have a proper foothold.

First they came for the gooners, and I didn't speak up because I'm not a gooner...

(+1)

I'm not sure how to feel about all this - as I have a friend who left 10 or so years ago because he was disturbed
by his games appearing next to all the naughty stuff - a flood of them came out of nowhere from seemingly nowhere back then 🤔
Personally I didn't mind the site going fully erotic over the time - but mostly because I only see itch as free hosting
and imho it could have been all solved long ago by rethinking the categories a bit  🤔
The only thing that really bothers me about all of this is the lack of communication and radio silence
they should have given people at least a heads up 🤔