News Summary

Indie game developer Santa Ragione has announced that it is at risk of shutting down following the banning of its latest project, the horror game ‘Horses,’ from the Steam platform. Steam, which is a major marketplace for PC games, rejected ‘Horses’ due to content concerns, specifically citing ‘content that appears to depict sexual conduct involving a minor.’ Despite the developers’ efforts to clarify that all characters in the game are over 20 years old and making changes to the game, Valve, the company behind Steam, stood by its decision. The ban has severely impacted Santa Ragione’s financial situation, making it difficult for the studio to recoup its $100,000 investment in the game. The studio plans to release ‘Horses’ on alternative platforms such as the Epic Games Store, GOG, Itch.io, and the Humble Store. Santa Ragione co-founder Pietro Righi Riva expressed that the studio might face closure unless the game performs unexpectedly well on these platforms.