Epic Games Store Pulls Horses Game at Last Minute
▼ Summary
– Epic Games Store has withdrawn support for the game *Horses*, refusing to distribute it due to violations of its content guidelines regarding inappropriate and hateful/abusive content.
– This follows a similar rejection by Valve’s Steam platform, which the developer says threatens the studio’s financial viability and potential closure.
– Epic stated its review found content that resulted in an Adult Only (AO) rating, which is prohibited on its store except for blockchain/NFT-related cases.
– The developer, Santa Ragione, appealed the decision, disputing the claims of explicit sexual content and noting it had previously received PEGI 18 and ESRB M ratings, not an AO rating.
– In contrast to Epic and Steam, CD Projekt’s GOG platform has announced its support and will distribute the game *Horses*.
The Epic Games Store has removed the controversial indie title Horses from its platform just before its scheduled launch, marking the second major digital distributor to reject the game. Developer Santa Ragione announced the last-minute reversal, stating that Epic had approved a release build only to later refuse distribution. This follows a similar rejection from Valve’s Steam platform last week, a decision the studio claims threatens its financial viability and potential closure due to the lost access to the primary PC gaming audience.
In a detailed statement provided to the developer, Epic cited specific violations of its store guidelines as the reason for the pull. The platform stated its review found breaches of the ‘Inappropriate Content’ and ‘Hateful or Abusive Content’ policies. According to Epic, the game’s content includes explicit or frequent sexual depictions not properly age-gated and material that promotes abuse, including animal abuse. Furthermore, Epic indicated that when it completed the International Age Rating Coalition (IARC) questionnaire based on its review, the game received an Adult Only (AO) rating. The store’s policy prohibits distributing AO-rated titles, with a sole exception for products rated AO solely due to blockchain or NFT technology.
Santa Ragione was given the options to modify the game for resubmission or to appeal the decision. The developer chose to appeal, contesting Epic’s findings through all suggested channels. The studio firmly disputed the claim that Horses contains explicit or frequent sexual behavior and highlighted a significant discrepancy in the rating process. The developer noted that it had completed the IARC questionnaire over five weeks prior as part of the standard submission and received a PEGI 18 and ESRB M rating, not an AO rating. These ratings were still visible on the game’s “coming soon” page on the Epic store at the time of the rejection.
Despite this appeal, Epic Games Store upheld its original decision. After review, the platform informed the developer that the initial ruling was appropriately applied and would remain in place. This echoes the earlier process with Steam, where Valve also conducted a review, provided feedback consistent with its guidelines, and ultimately denied distribution after a reconsideration request from the developer. The consecutive rejections from the two largest PC storefronts present a major hurdle for Santa Ragione. In a contrasting move, CD Projekt’s GOG platform has publicly expressed its support for Horses, potentially offering an alternative outlet for the controversial horror title.
(Source: Games Industry)
