Vampire Roleplaying Game Nighthawkswhich is scheduled for release on September 22 on Steamfell under Valve’s tightened rules regarding adult content. Publisher Wadjet Eye Games reported that the title received the Adults Only label, which is why it disappeared from searches on Steam and was removed from sale in a number of countries, including Germany.
At the same time, both the developer and the publisher insist that the scenes of nudity and sex in the game are extremely restrained. Wadjet Eye CEO Dave Gilbert wrote in Blueskythat the studio is already working on a solution to the problem.
We are aware that Steam has classified Nighthawks as a game for adults and has removed it from searches. We are working on this. Valve gives the impression that this game is much sexier than it actually is.
In a response to a comment under his post, Gilbert added that “Valve is essentially treating Nighthawks like a porn game.”
The Adults Only label hits visibility from several sides at once. Such titles are not shown in search results by default – to see them, the user needs to log in, confirm their age (in some countries this requires a bank card) and manually change the content preference settings. The label also leads to the complete removal of the page from the regional versions of the store.
Creator Nighthawks Richard Cobbett explained in conversation with PC Gamerhow the situation turned out for the release.
This is very bad news for us because the game instantly becomes persona non grata in several important countries like Germany. We’re not sure what exactly caused the issue, but we’ve of course contacted Valve and hope they quickly remove this stigma.
Cobbett described what themes the game does address and why Valve’s decision came as a surprise to the team.
Vampires are a bit sexual by nature, and Nighthawks is definitely a mature game in terms of content. However, when it comes specifically to the nudity, sex and similar elements, it’s all very mild, usually comedic in tone when it happens, and much less explicit than anything you’ll see on HBO.
In terms of content, it’s a couple of butt shots and other censored naughty bits, mostly within companion romances and similar content where you won’t see anything explicit, and the sex scenes usually consist of a fun “date” to explore relationships and different character dynamics, along with maybe a small piece of cheesecake, but ultimately don’t go much further than a tactful blackout of the screen followed by a “Ten Minutes Later” caption.
This is not the first time this has happened in recent months. Coming in July is the indie adventure Future? No thanks! delayed the release due to a multi-week Steam review, which was provoked by the presence in one of the scenes of “dozens of untextured polygons depicting butts and breasts.” The review ultimately ended in favor of the developers, and the game was released on Steam on September 4.
Part of the problem lies in Valve’s own rules, which remain vague. The site requires developers to correctly limit access to games with adult themes, but it itself does not draw a clear line between “mature” and “adults only,” leaving this assessment to the discretion of the authors.
The situation became more complicated last year when Valve added another clause prohibiting “content that may violate the rules and standards set by Steam’s payment processors and associated card networks and banks or Internet service providers. In particular, certain types of adult-only content.” It was this wording that became the reason for the massive removal of games from the site.
If games like Dragon Age don’t shock you, then this won’t shock you too much. We hope Valve quickly reverses the decision and approves the game so everyone can become the vampire they deserve as planned next week.
Release Nighthawks on PC is set for September 22.
