Steam’s Policy Forces BrownDust2 to Depart Following Horse Ban: “An Unresolvable Issue”

The highly provocative gacha RPG BrownDust2 has decided to step away from Steam, citing challenges with “the platform’s policy requirements” that the developers, GAMFS N and Neowiz, couldn’t navigate without altering “the game’s core direction.”

In a recent announcement, the BrownDust2 team revealed that their long-anticipated Steam version has been put on hold. The game has been available on Android and iPhone for several years, earning notably positive user reviews with T-for-Teen and 18+ age ratings, respectively.

“We have been preparing for a Steam launch for a long time, but during our discussions regarding the platform’s policy requirements, we encountered an issue that cannot be reasonably resolved with the current version of the game,” the announcement stated.

“After extensive internal discussion, we have decided not to proceed with a Steam release.”

This decision has drawn attention, especially following Valve’s ban of the arthouse horror game Horses from the platform. However, the specific policy conflicts affecting BrownDust2 remain unclear, while the developers of Horses provided detailed explanations of their issues.

The game is known for its explicit content, requiring significant edits to its trailers to comply with YouTube policies, yet Steam hosts a plethora of adult content. It raises questions about what exactly Valve found objectionable. I’ve reached out to Neowiz for further clarification on the policy conflict.

The BrownDust2 team expressed, “We considered multiple options to make the release possible, but to maintain the game’s core direction and overall quality, we concluded that making the necessary adjustments at this time would not be appropriate.”

This statement hints that the issue relates to the game’s direction and content, which is unmistakably clear in its design. Yet, as I glance through Steam’s trending feed, I can’t help but wonder how this game crossed the line.

With Steam no longer an option, the developers are exploring “alternative PC platforms that can provide a better environment for BrownDust2.” Meanwhile, in-game rewards intended for the Steam launch will still be distributed following a December 16 update.