Censorship on Steam has been a hot topic recently, and the restriction of another game from the storefront probably won’t cool down the conversation. Earlier this week, arthouse horror game Horses launched without a Steam listing thanks to a ban received earlier in development. Now, it looks like Steam’s content policies may have affected BrownDust2, a port of a mobile RPG from the publisher behind Lies of P.
As spotted by Reddit user atahutahatena, BrownDust2‘s Steam page is no longer publicly accessible. Neowiz responded with a blog post acknowledging “an issue where access to the BrownDust2 game page and community features on the STEAM platform is currently restricted.” Neowiz is currently “in communication with Steam” and seeking to resolve the issue.
BrownDust2 Might Not Meet Steam’s Content Policy
The Fanservice Could Be A Problem
Neowiz’s statement doesn’t clarify the reason for the page restriction, but it seems very possible that the game could have run afoul of Steam content policy. It only takes one glance at its listing on other storefronts to see that BrownDust2 is a heavily sexualized game, and some of the characters are canonically underage.
While the game doesn’t feature explicit content, its nature is definitely pushing the bounds of what’s allowed on Steam. The platform’s restrictions on adult content intensified this year, thanks to pressure from major credit card companies, which could have also increased scrutiny on BrownDust2.
Steam Could Still Restore BrownDust2
Neowiz Has Negotiating Power
The delisting of BrownDust2 doesn’t seem like a blow to artistic expression in the same way as Horses. I, for one, would prefer to avoid fanservice-heavy games with underage characters, which isn’t exactly a bold stance. That being said, it might stand a better chance of returning to the storefront. Neowiz has a lot more clout than Horses developer Santa Ragione, and the mention of being “in communication with Steam” sounds like a more open conversation than Horses ever received.
If the sexualization of minors is the reason for the restriction, BrownDust2 might be able to make some tweaks to meet the platform’s terms of service. With only 10 days left until launch, though, those changes would have to happen fast. Even if Neowiz and Valve manage to resolve their differences, it could incur a delay for the game.
Without further information from Neowiz or Valve, this is all just speculation, and it’s possible that the delisting was nothing more than a fluke. Either way, it shouldn’t be long before we find out whether BrownDust2 is going out the same way that Horses did.