Valve just permanently blocked an indie game — and this could close the studio

Valve refuses Horses – and Santa Ragione might not survive without Steam

Here’s the hard part up front: Valve has told Italian indie studio Santa Ragione that their upcoming game Horses will not be allowed on Steam, and the decision is final. That’s not a delay or a “we’re discussing it” – it’s a permanent block after two separate content reviews in 2023. For a small studio whose previous hits include the FAR series, being shut out of Steam can be an existential blow.

• What happened: Steam reviewed Horses twice in 2023 and declined to publish it, citing disallowed themes including an alleged sexualized-minor scene (which Santa Ragione denies).
• Where it will appear: Santa Ragione can still release Horses on Epic, GOG, Humble and Itch.io – but those storefronts don’t reach Steam’s scale.
• Why it matters: According to co‑founder Pietro Righi Riva, losing Steam access cuts the PC audience dramatically and could force the studio to close.

Why this caught my attention

This story landed because it highlights something indies already whisper about at conferences: Steam is still the gatekeeper of PC gaming. Santa Ragione isn’t some unknown hobby project — they made FAR: Lone Sails and FAR: Changing Tides, games with sensible critical profiles and real sales. When a respected indie studio says “we’re effectively ruined” after Steam refuses a title, it forces the industry to ask whether Valve’s process is fair, opaque, and disproportionately powerful.

Breaking down what Valve said (and didn’t)

Steam’s public line, translated from their statement to the press, said: “We examined (Horses) in 2023 (…) After our team tested the build and reviewed its content, we explained to the developer why we could not publish the game on Steam, in accordance with our rules and onboarding guidelines. Shortly after, the developer requested reconsideration. Our internal content review team discussed the issue at length and communicated our final decision: we will not publish the game on Steam.”

That’s… fairly clinical. The big problem isn’t the refusal itself — platforms set content standards — it’s the lack of specificity. Eighteen months and repeated requests later, Santa Ragione says Valve still won’t tell them which scene triggered the ban. Opaque moderation at this scale breeds speculation and, worse for developers, makes it nearly impossible to fix or appeal in a meaningful way.

What Santa Ragione says and the odd scene in question

Santa Ragione strongly disputes the claim their work sexualizes minors. The studio suspects Valve flagged a work-in-progress scene where “a young woman climbs onto the shoulders of an adult man-horse who is naked.” The team later changed that shot — the young woman was replaced with a character in their twenties, and eventually an older woman, which the studio says is truer to the scene’s intent.

Co‑founder Pietro Righi Riva told Eurogamer he’s “almost certain” that if Valve had seen the final version, the concern wouldn’t have arisen. But without clear feedback, that remains conjecture — and it’s cold comfort if your books rely on Steam sales.

Why Steam matters (and what alternatives actually mean)

Valve’s storefront still funnels an enormous share of PC traffic. Santa Ragione estimates Steam represents roughly 75% of the PC audience for them. Epic, GOG, Humble and Itch.io will host Horses, and that’s better than nothing — they’ve already approved the game — but those platforms don’t replicate Steam’s discovery engines, user base, or the impulse purchases tied to big sale events.

For indies, the difference isn’t semantics: visibility drives sales, which pay staff and fund the next project. Losing Steam can mean canceled payroll, layoffs, or outright closure. When a censorship-like block happens without detailed rationale, it exposes how fragile independent studios are when a single platform’s decision matters this much.

What this could mean going forward

There are a few possible outcomes. One, Santa Ragione releases Horses off-Steam and survives on niche attention and their existing fanbase — a long, uncertain road. Two, the studio uses the publicity to push for clearer moderation guidelines from Valve and industry pressure forces more transparency. Three, sadly, the studio folds if sales fall short.

Gamers should care because this is about more than one game. It’s about whether platform power can silently decide the fate of creative teams with little recourse. It’s about inconsistent moderation and the lack of an accountable appeal process for developers who aren’t massive publishers.

TL;DR

Valve has permanently blocked Horses from Steam after content reviews in 2023. Santa Ragione will release the game on other PC stores, but losing Steam’s reach could threaten the studio’s survival. This case underscores how opaque platform moderation can cripple indies and why clearer rules and appeals are overdue.