The Epic Games Store’s decision to delist Horses—an avant-garde horror game by indie publisher Santa Ragione—just one day before its release has reignited criticism over the platform’s handling of adult-themed titles. The move came after Epic’s trust and safety team reclassified the game as Adult’s Only (AO), a drastic shift from its initial M-rating approval, leaving the developer without clear explanations or an appeals process.
Epic Games Store VP Steve Allison recently stated in an interview that the studio ‘loves that team,’ but the publisher’s response dismisses the claim as hollow. In a public post, Santa Ragione argued that Epic’s actions—including a refusal to disclose the basis for the AO rating or provide an IARC appeal link—amount to a deliberate lack of engagement. ‘They do not love that studio,’ the publisher wrote. ‘They have effectively ghosted us.’
The controversy stems from Epic’s reversal of its own assessment. Originally, Horses—a surreal, censored exploration of fascist horror inspired by Pier Paolo Pasolini’s Salò—was approved for the Epic Store under an M-rating. However, a late-stage review by Epic’s trust and safety team upgraded it to AO, citing violations of platform policies. The publisher notes that unredacted gameplay footage exists on Twitch and YouTube, platforms with stricter moderation than Epic, suggesting the AO classification may not align with the game’s actual content.
Why the sudden change? Epic’s decision appears tied to broader industry pressure. In late 2025, conservative advocacy groups successfully lobbied payment processors like Visa and Mastercard to restrict adult content on platforms such as Steam and itch.io. This renewed scrutiny may have prompted Epic to re-examine Horses, despite the game’s visual censorship—a hallmark of its artistic approach. The publisher also highlights Epic’s exception policy: AO ratings are only permitted for blockchain or NFT-related products, a category Horses* does not fall under.
A game of contradictionsInitial Approval: Epic Store listed Horses with an M-rating after Santa Ragione completed the IARC self-publishing process.Last-Minute Delisting: Days before launch, Epic’s trust and safety team reclassified it as AO, citing policy violations without providing specifics.No Appeal Process: Epic did not share the IARC certificate or offer an appeals mechanism, leaving the publisher without recourse.Public Availability: Horses remains purchasable on GOG and the Humble Store, platforms that have not imposed the same restrictions.Artistic Intent: The game’s censorship—pixellated nudity and implied violence—contrasts with Epic’s stated AO policy, which typically applies to unredacted explicit content.
The delisting underscores a broader tension in digital distribution: while Epic has positioned itself as a champion of indie developers, its enforcement of content policies remains inconsistent. Horses is not the first title to face sudden removal—Steam delisted it years earlier—but the lack of transparency in Epic’s decision-making process has left Santa Ragione questioning whether the platform truly values its partners or merely pays lip service to support.
For players, the fallout raises questions about where Horses* fits in the current gaming landscape. The game’s artistic merits—its exploration of fascist horror through censorship and surrealism—have been noted by critics, but its availability now hinges on platforms willing to defy Epic’s selective enforcement. As Santa Ragione puts it, the issue isn’t just about one game: it’s about whether digital storefronts can balance creative freedom with inconsistent, unexplained policies.
