GOG Says Steam Censorship Due to Payment Systems Threatens Game Preservation
In July 2025, Valve updated Steam’s rules to block games that payment processors, banks, or card networks considered unacceptable. This led to thousands of adult games being removed or hidden from Steam and itch.io.
In protest, GOG launched FreedomToBuy.games in August, giving away 13 NSFW titles for free while highlighting its belief that players deserve DRM-free copies that can’t be taken away. Now, GOG is speaking out about the bigger risks these bans create.
Pressure From Payment Processors Is a Game Preservation Issue
In an interview with Automaton-Media, GOG’s public relations director, Piotr Gnyp, called the situation “a game preservation issue.” He stressed that any title removed from a digital store could potentially be lost forever.
He added, “Every game that disappears from distribution is potentially lost to game preservation efforts. It is particularly worrying when games are potentially vanishing due to external pressure.” GOG sees the influence of payment systems on what can or cannot be sold as a dangerous sign for the industry.
Gnyp explained that while platforms like GOG and Steam must follow local laws—which can sometimes be unclear—the recent removals were not caused by governments. Instead, they came from outside pressure by payment processors and activist groups. He warned this makes the threat to digital game preservation even more serious.
In other news, GOG mocked Steam’s license warning last year, after Valve reminded players they only buy licenses, stressing its DRM-free games cannot be taken away.
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