The Patreon Purge: Why Adult Game Developers Are Being Massively Banned Without Explanation
In a sudden and alarming turn of events, the adult gaming community finds itself under siege as two major platforms, Patreon and Gumroad (Read more about GumRoad banning all adult content creators), enact mass bans on creators of adult content without clear explanations or avenues for recourse. This, almost, coordinated crackdown has sent shockwaves through the industry, leaving developers and patrons alike scrambling for answers and alternatives.
In a puzzling turn of events, Patreon, the crowdfunding platform synonymous with supporting creators of all kinds, has left the adult gaming community reeling with a series of unexplained bans. Without clear reasons or avenues for appeal, adult game developers, including notable names like Perverteer, Uberpie, and Lockheart, have been abruptly removed from the platform, sparking outrage and confusion within the industry.
Perverteer, renowned for his hit game and our current Adult game of the month "Tales From The Unending Void" found himself among the banned creators overnight. His contributions to the adult gaming scene have garnered a dedicated following, making the sudden removal from Patreon all the more perplexing.
Uberpie, creator of the popular game "Taffy Tales," faced a similar fate despite boasting over 20,000 Patreon subscribers and being one of the most supported adult game developers on the platform. The loss of Uberpie's presence on Patreon not only affects the developer but also disrupts the support network for their extensive community of patrons.
READ ON: 25 Most supported Adult Games on Patreon
Finally, Lockheart, known for crafting compelling visual novel games, also found himself caught in Patreon's net of bans. Lockheart's previous issues with Patreon, coupled with struggles to release his games on platforms like Steam, add layers of complexity to adult gaming development.
For many adult game developers, Patreon has been a lifeline, providing a crucial source of funding and support for their creative endeavors. The sudden removal of these creators from the platform not only jeopardizes their livelihoods but also disrupts the connection between developers and their loyal patrons.
Patreon's recent crackdown on adult game developers comes without warning or transparent communication, leaving creators scrambling to understand why they've been targeted. The platform's vague references to violations of community guidelines offer little insight into the specific offenses, leaving developers like Perverteer, Uberpie, and Lockheart in the dark about how to rectify the situation or prevent future bans.
The lack of clarity surrounding these bans has ignited a firestorm of speculation and concern within the adult gaming community. Questions about the scale of the bans, the criteria for determining violations, and the potential for further targeting of adult content creators remain unanswered, further exacerbating the sense of unease among creators and patrons alike.
In the absence of meaningful dialogue from Patreon, affected developers have turned to social media to voice their frustrations and seek solidarity within the community. Calls for transparency and accountability from the platform have gone unanswered, raising doubts about Patreon's commitment to supporting diverse creators and fostering an inclusive creative environment.
As the fallout from these bans continues to unfold, it's essential for Patreon, Gumroad, and other platforms to heed the concerns of the adult gaming community and address the underlying issues driving these actions. Without transparent policies and fair enforcement practices, platforms risk alienating both creators and patrons, undermining the trust and integrity of the crowdfunding ecosystem as a whole.
We at Spicygaming.netrecognize the importance of providing a safe and supportive space for creators to continue their work without fear of arbitrary censorship.
As a platform dedicated to the adult gaming community, we are committed to offering refuge to developers and other content creators who have been unjustly targeted. With spicygaming.net, creators will soon have the opportunity to sell their games, art, voice and other work and receive the support they need to continue their creative journey.
We invite all content creators to join us as we build a community where their voices can be heard and their work can flourish. Together, we will continue to push the boundaries of adult gaming and create a future where unjust censorship has no place.
I invite you to read more about our plans on (I know ironically) our Patreon page. We will open up a way to support us on the platform directly soon!
Comments
There have been other bans too - Pure Onyx was banned from Patreon without ability to appeal despite their content being cleared on previous reviews. And Fanbox has now dropped Paypal for adult creators because of their new requirements, suggesting that this might all be coming from Paypal demands this time.
Spice, the games mentioned were blatantly disregarding Patreon TOS, that is why they got removed. I am by no means a supporter of Patreon, but, this is not a crackdown as much as cleaning up developers who didn't follow Patreon's rules ( as broken as they are, it's still their rules and we agreed to follow them when we opened the accounts ) For example, Lockhearts game were based around the incest theme and that is why he got the boot.
We were recently banned from the itch payout system after 2 years. Didn't break any rules, just complained to support about them taking too long to pay out. Never had any problems with steam in the same time frame. They forced us to use direct payments (paypal and stripe). Stripe obviously immediately banned us. So thanks to itch, one avenue of our income has effectively become useless. Not a good feeling when it is your sole livelihood.
Ha! My game grossed $276K in less than four months in Steam, but was rejected by the snubs at SpicyGaming. "Committed to offering refuge to developers and other content creators who have been unjustly targeted" - yeah, right.