Steam Tightens Rules On Adult Content Patches – What It Means For Developers

New Rules Rock Adult Game Developers on Steam

Creating games with adult themes is getting trickier, thanks to Steam's latest policy update. Steam, the platform owned by Valve, has introduced new restrictions that prevent developers from adding adult content through patches after a game has been reviewed and launched. This change was highlighted by the developer behind *Tales of Legendary Lust: Aphrodisia*.

Developer's Diary Sheds Light on Changes

In a recent diary post, the creator of *Tales of Legendary Lust: Aphrodisia* shared insights into the new guidelines. "We had planned to add a few more explicit scenes to the base game while working on the DLC," the developer stated. "But Valve does not permit adding NSFW content to a project after it has already passed their review and been published in the store."

“There’s nothing we can do about it – it’s their policy, and violating it would result in the game being removed from Steam. So please keep this in mind when requesting additional explicit content for the main release.”

The New Reality for Adult Content on Steam

Although developers can still introduce adult material via downloadable content (DLC), these additions require Valve's review and approval prior to their release. The shift is seen as part of Steam's effort to clean up problematic adult titles on its platform.

The developer expressed understanding of the rules, noting that Valve remained "courteous and responsive" during discussions. "We never felt threatened or intimidated; it seemed to us that they were genuinely trying to assist developers in navigating the review," they added.

While this move has stirred the gaming community, it highlights the balance Steam seeks to strike between creative freedom and regulatory compliance.