Amid mounting unease, the gaming community is waking up to a new era—one where payment processors, platform holders, and publishers flex their muscle in unprecedented ways. From threats of delisting Grand Theft Auto and Saints Row to the rise of protest campaigns against censorship, r/gaming is witnessing a clash over who gets to set the rules—and who gets left out.
Who Holds the Power? Censorship, Payment Processors, and the Fight for Access
Payment processors have quietly become the new gatekeepers, wielding policies that can erase entire genres from digital shelves. The community took notice when news broke of adult games and even mainstream franchises being threatened with delisting. As one user observed:
"Trying to take down GTA will be a massive mistake and their downfall. Not only the backslash of hundreds of millions of fans, but even Take2 would be on their ass." – u/Kaspcorp
This isn’t just alarmism. GOG’s recent "Freedom To Buy" campaign—which gives away controversial games in protest—has struck a nerve, highlighting how games vanish for reasons unrelated to legality or safety. Valve’s public spat with Mastercard over who is really responsible for content removal only deepens the distrust. The pressure is no longer just about adult content; it’s about control over what counts as "acceptable" gaming. Even Rockstar may soon require biometric age verification for GTA Online, sparking fears of a slippery slope into surveillance and exclusion.
"Any one who doesn't see any issue with this is living in a fantasy world or simply longs for an authoritarian nanny state to tell them what to do...." – u/discipleofdoom
Meanwhile, Marvel Rivals’ automatic recording of in-game voice chat is sold as "community protection"—but many see it as yet another overreach in a year where gamers are asked to trade privacy for "safety."
The Price of Play: Commodification, Stagnation, and the Illusion of Choice
While the industry debates who polices content, gamers are also feeling the sting of relentless monetization and shrinking value. The spectacle of used games selling at full price is emblematic of a market where nostalgia and scarcity are weaponized against the consumer. As one user put it, "They know what they have...." But it’s not just retailers. EA’s decision to delay The Sims 5 under the guise of "player-friendliness" rings hollow when the alternative is a decade’s worth of DLC that costs more than most used cars.
"Charging $10,000 for all the Sims 4 DLC isn’t player friendly either you sociopath...." – u/Rosstin316
Yet not all developers are buying into the arms race. The creators of Expedition 33 have publicly rejected the trend of bloat and escalation, insisting that smaller teams can still deliver full-priced, high-quality RPGs—if they resist the siren call of endless expansion.
"Honestly good self awareness to realize they have the team they need. Too many companies bloat themselves when they see they have success...." – u/TheYellingMute
Against this backdrop, the joy of gaming persists in unexpected places—like nostalgic victories over classic games and even in amused confusion at questionable level design. But make no mistake: this week, the dominant mood is skepticism, not celebration.
Sources
- Adult Games Are Only The Beginning, Grand Theft Auto And Saints Row Reportedly "At Risk" Of Being Delisted By Payment Processors by u/TheChessHorse (32122 points) - Posted: August 05, 2025 at 11:55 AM UTC
- A 3 year old, used game going for $59.99. Thanks gamestop by u/CHUNKY_BLOODY_QUEEFS (26576 points) - Posted: August 03, 2025 at 06:35 PM UTC
- GOG’s Freedom To Buy Campaign Gives Away Controversial Games For Free To Protest Censorship by u/Extasio (23035 points) - Posted: August 01, 2025 at 09:42 PM UTC
- Valve responded to Mastercards claim that they did not pressure anyone: 'Payment processors rejected Valve’s current guidelines for moderating illegal content on Steam' by u/Moth_LovesLamp (18746 points) - Posted: August 02, 2025 at 09:14 PM UTC
- I'm sensing some questionable design choices... by u/ILoveKetchup402 (14412 points) - Posted: August 01, 2025 at 11:44 AM UTC
- I finally beat it! by u/HeIIBat (8720 points) - Posted: August 01, 2025 at 05:23 PM UTC
- The Sims 5 isn’t happening anytime soon as strangely nice EA admits making players “give up all that content” isn’t “player-friendly” by u/HatingGeoffry (7950 points) - Posted: August 04, 2025 at 08:32 AM UTC
- Marvel Rivals will now automatically record all in-game voice chats to "shield the community" from toxic behaviour by u/HatingGeoffry (7593 points) - Posted: July 31, 2025 at 08:39 AM UTC
- Expedition 33 Devs Dont Plan On Increasing Scale, Scope, And Budget Of Development For Next Game: “We’re just the right size for a full-price turn-based RPG” by u/eldestscrollx (7051 points) - Posted: July 31, 2025 at 09:34 PM UTC
- GTA Online will add age verification to comply with UK laws claims insider by u/JayR_97 (7014 points) - Posted: August 04, 2025 at 05:34 PM UTC
Journalistic duty means questioning all popular consensus. - Alex Prescott