There are many reasons why Valve might decide to remove a game fromSteam, whether it be due to rights issues, exclusivity changes, or even just quality. But it’s rare for Valve to pull a relatively highly-anticipated game, regardless of the reason. Yet that’s what appears to have been done toSuper Seducer 3, according to the game’s creator Rich La Ruina. And while Valve doesn’t share details about such matters publically, La Ruina has shared that information himself.
In a message posted to Twitter, La Ruina shared Steam’s reasoning for pullingSuper Seducer 3without recourse. The message from a Steam representative says that “Steam does not shipsexually explicitimages of real people,” following that up by saying thatSuper Seducer 3has had multiple reviews and so the decision is final. La Ruina even replied, saying that they’re willing to take a “butcher knife” to the game, but Steam responded again saying there would be no further reviews.
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La Ruina is understandably frustrated with the situation. He says on Twitter thatValvedidn’t make clear that this would be the last opportunity to review the game, citing the game’s 61,700 Steam wishlists as part of why he’s disappointed inSuper Seducer 3’s removal. He doesn’t, however, refute Valve’s claim thatSuper Seducer 3featured sexually explicit images of real people. He only says he would have edited it more if he knew this was his last chance.
Part of what could have played a role inValve’s decisionis that, despite multiple reviews, it seems thatSuper Seducer 3actually grew more explicit over time. La Ruina explains on Twitter that the latest version of the game is “way less censored” as a result of a discussion they had with a lawyer regarding what would be legal. They also admit that there are “uncensored feedback clips” in the game, implying they were very aware of the game’s sexually explicit content.
TheSuper Seducerfranchiseand La Ruina himself have been heavily criticized in the past. La Ruina describes himself as a dating coach and runs a company called PUA Training, which stands for Pick-Up Artist. The games have been criticized for encouraging harassment-like behavior and misogynistic attitudes toward women.
Despite its controversies, theSuper Seducerfranchise has provensuccessful on Steamup to this point. It’s also an oft-played game in certain Twitch circles. The removal ofSuper Seducer 3from Steam seems very likely to create a larger controversy, but Valve very likely realizes this and still believes it’s the correct decision at this point in time.
