In a surprising turn of events, the controversial horror game “Horses” has faced bans from both Steam and the Epic Games Store. This development comes from ongoing scrutiny of the game’s content and compliance with platform guidelines.
Background on “Horses” Game
Developed by Santa Ragione, “Horses” portrays a disturbing narrative. It follows a young man’s summer experience at a horse farm, where he discovers that the horses are, in fact, enslaved humans wearing horse masks. The game aims to provoke thought about moral complacency in society.
Recent Ban from Steam and Epic Games Store
Last week, Santa Ragione announced that Steam had banned “Horses,” with Valve providing minimal feedback regarding the decision. The developer was told that the game violated Steam’s content guidelines, particularly concerning depictions of sexual conduct.
Now, just before its scheduled release, the Epic Games Store has also prohibited the game. According to a press release from Santa Ragione, Epic informed the studio less than a day prior to release.
Reasons for the Bans
- Epic Games Store cited violations of their Content Guidelines, specifically regarding ‘Inappropriate Content’ and ‘Hateful or Abusive Content.’
- The content was classified with an Adult Only (AO) rating during Epic’s review, which is incompatible with distribution on their platform.
- Santa Ragione disputed the AO rating, as their own IARC Questionnaire reported a Mature (M) rating for the game.
Developer’s Response
Santa Ragione appealed Epic’s decision shortly after receiving notice, but their appeal was denied within 12 hours without further explanation. The studio has expressed concern about the impact of these bans on its future, particularly the inability to reach a broader audience on Steam.
Community Support and Immediate Fallout
Following the Steam ban, “Horses” garnered significant online attention and community support. The competing platform, GOG, publicly backed the game, offering to promote its release.
Although “Horses” is currently marked as “Coming Soon” on the Epic Games Store, the uncertainty surrounding its status has left the developers questioning the motivations behind the sudden ban from Epic.
Moving Forward
Santa Ragione is considering how to proceed, providing options for how they might amend the game to comply with the guidelines. These include:
- Modifying the game for resubmission.
- Appealing the decision with additional evidence.
- Seeking refunds for the submission fees if they choose not to move forward.
At this stage, “Horses” remains available for purchase on alternative platforms such as itch.io, GOG, and Humble. The developer is evaluating its options as the situation evolves.
