German-Spearheaded Petition Joins Critique of Adult Game Delistings
A new petition spearheaded by prominent German journalists, game developers and DEI advocates has gathered over a thousand signatures in the first day. Like other emerging protests, it aims at payment processors to take the pressure from store fronts selling adult games.
After the recent delistings of adult games on Steam and Itch.io by demand of several payment processors, a growing organised resistance has emerged under makers and players of adult games as well as among LGBTQIA+ communities against these policies. Among the reactions is a petition led by prominent German games journalists and indie game developers known for their advocacy for queer communities. “We appeal to everyone who sees digital games as cultural artifacts and an important part of today’s media landscape, to stand up for our right of expression. We demand that payment processors stop imposing their rules on shops and media distributors. We demand that they act as a neutral intermediary between suppliers and customers”, the organisers summarise their petition demands.