Vampire RPG Nighthawks has narrowly avoided being relegated to Steam's "Adult Only" category, a designation that would have significantly impacted its visibility on the storefront. Developers Wadjet Eye Games successfully appealed the classification mere days before the game's launch on September 22.
Valve's updated guidelines had inadvertently classified Nighthawks as "Adult Only," a tag typically reserved for adult content and one that renders a game nearly invisible on Steam, blocking it from search results and certain regional storefronts. The developers stated that while the game explores mature themes and can be described as "sexy," it does not contain pornography. "Any sexy scenes are text only, and the few scenes with nudity are presented with strategically placed props and hands covering up the naughty bits," they clarified in a statement on Steam.
Despite the stressful situation, the development team acknowledged Valve's cooperation in expediting the appeal. The incident, however, unexpectedly led to a surge in interest, reportedly doubling the game's wishlists overnight. "When I posted my frustrations on social media, I did not expect it to go viral. We got some press coverage out of it and wishlists essentially doubled overnight," the developers noted. They also recognized their fortune in having the platform and fanbase to address the issue quickly, highlighting that many independent developers might not have the same recourse.
This situation brings to light ongoing challenges faced by developers with mature or adult-themed content on digital storefronts. Nighthawks is not the first game to encounter such difficulties; several queer developers have previously spoken out about restrictive content guidelines on Steam and Itch.io, and other titles have faced similar scrutiny over depictions of nudity or mature themes.