So now the Terms of Service says:
15. Games must follow the rules of the payment processors, which is the same as the rules 1-14 for Steam. Because payment processors do not say anything regarding sales of items that are legal.

Great. We are now at the "everyone point at each other" stage

Originally posted by Thermal Lance:

Great. We are now at the "everyone point at each other" stage

Which will be accompanied with the "i told you it wasn't them and was in fact [pick someone else]" stage.

Originally posted by Mr. Smiles:

Originally posted by Thermal Lance:

Great. We are now at the "everyone point at each other" stage

Which will be accompanied with the "i told you it wasn't them and was in fact [pick someone else]" stage.

All this behind closed door mess is getting confusing

Originally posted by Thermal Lance:

Great. We are now at the "everyone point at each other" stage

I like this stage, people making eachother take responsibility and not dodge everything like we the customers dont exist. I'll worry about whose lying if ALL of them point fingers at one-another. Hell MC isnt even pointing fingers, just saying, "it aint me."

Mastercard are lying. And stores, such as Steam, have receipts to prove it.

For that matter, this is the "community note" on their tweet:

Both Steam and Itch have stated their removal of adult content came from pressure by payment processors, including Mastercard.

https://www.theguardian.com/games/2025/jul/29/why-did-adult-titles-disappear-from-steam-itch-pc-gaming-payment-processors

Furthermore, Mastercard and other payment processors have a documented history of refusing service to Japanese retailers over legal adult content.

https://otakuusamagazine.com/visa-and-mastercard-refuse-to-work-with-another-doujinshi-retailer/

Steam has plausible deniability, Mastercar/Visa not so much considering the stories about them doing it previously with Anime stuff. It seems the entire western world is starting to push for censoring and age verification, so even if MasterCard/Visa relents, Valve might keep the rule up.

Originally posted by Chika Ogiue:

Mastercard are lying. And stores, such as Steam, have receipts to prove it.

So Steam named MasterCard as one of the ones regulating them?

Originally posted by Chika Ogiue:

Mastercard are lying. And stores, such as Steam, have receipts to prove it.

Has anyone made public statement to such?

Originally posted by videomike_Ultimate_Plushie:

Has anyone made public statement to such?

A whole lot of stores in Japan, for one. Fanza, as I've mentioned before, where Visa is still a payment option but Mastercard were specifically removed after they made their demands.

Here's a Japanese language piece on Fanza giving Mastercard the boot.
https://kai-you.net/article/84258

https://youtu.be/Lqyr-GCIFWA

Originally posted by Boblin the Goblin:

Originally posted by Chika Ogiue:

Mastercard are lying. And stores, such as Steam, have receipts to prove it.

So Steam named MasterCard as one of the ones regulating them?

According to Kotaku (a site I personally loath) this is Valve's response to them on the matter:

Updated: 8/1/2025 4:18 p.m. ET: In a statement to Kotaku, a spokesperson for Valve said that while Mastercard did not communicate with it directly, concerns did come through payment processor and banking intermediaries. They said payment processors rejected Valve’s current guidelines for moderating illegal content on Steam, citing Mastercard’s Rule 5.12.7.

“Mastercard did not communicate with Valve directly, despite our request to do so,” Valve’s statement sent over email to Kotaku reads. “Mastercard communicated with payment processors and their acquiring banks. Payment processors communicated this with Valve, and we replied by outlining Steam’s policy since 2018 of attempting to distribute games that are legal for distribution. Payment processors rejected this, and specifically cited Mastercard’s Rule 5.12.7 and risk to the Mastercard brand.”

Rule 5.12.7 states, “A Merchant must not submit to its Acquirer, and a Customer must not submit to the Interchange System, any Transaction that is illegal, or in the sole discretion of the Corporation, may damage the goodwill of the Corporation or reflect negatively on the Marks.”

It goes on, “The sale of a product or service, including an image, which is patently offensive and lacks serious artistic value (such as, by way of example and not limitation, images of nonconsensual sexual behavior, sexual exploitation of a minor, nonconsensual mutilation of a person or body part, and bestiality), or any other material that the Corporation deems unacceptable to sell in connection with a Mark.”

Originally posted by Chika Ogiue:

Originally posted by Boblin the Goblin:

So Steam named MasterCard as one of the ones regulating them?

According to Kotaku (a site I personally loath) this is Valve's response to them on the matter:

Updated: 8/1/2025 4:18 p.m. ET: In a statement to Kotaku, a spokesperson for Valve said that while Mastercard did not communicate with it directly, concerns did come through payment processor and banking intermediaries. They said payment processors rejected Valve’s current guidelines for moderating illegal content on Steam, citing Mastercard’s Rule 5.12.7.

“Mastercard did not communicate with Valve directly, despite our request to do so,” Valve’s statement sent over email to Kotaku reads. “Mastercard communicated with payment processors and their acquiring banks. Payment processors communicated this with Valve, and we replied by outlining Steam’s policy since 2018 of attempting to distribute games that are legal for distribution. Payment processors rejected this, and specifically cited Mastercard’s Rule 5.12.7 and risk to the Mastercard brand.”

Rule 5.12.7 states, “A Merchant must not submit to its Acquirer, and a Customer must not submit to the Interchange System, any Transaction that is illegal, or in the sole discretion of the Corporation, may damage the goodwill of the Corporation or reflect negatively on the Marks.”

It goes on, “The sale of a product or service, including an image, which is patently offensive and lacks serious artistic value (such as, by way of example and not limitation, images of nonconsensual sexual behavior, sexual exploitation of a minor, nonconsensual mutilation of a person or body part, and bestiality), or any other material that the Corporation deems unacceptable to sell in connection with a Mark.”

So it's lower level processors speaking on behalf of MasterCard?

Neat.

Originally posted by Thermal Lance:

Great. We are now at the "everyone point at each other" stage

“Who stole the cookie from the cookie jar?”

I'm sure its all these storefronts lying and not the payment processors.