Nighthawks Hidden From Steam Search After Adults Only Classification

Upcoming vampire RPG Nighthawks has been pushed out of Steam search results and delisted in some countries after Valve classified it as Adults Only, creating a serious discoverability problem just one week before release.

Publisher Wadjet Eye Games says it is trying to resolve the situation with Valve and argues that the game has been classified as considerably more sexually explicit than it actually is. Nighthawks is still scheduled to launch on September 22, and its Steam listing remains accessible directly in regions where the game is available.

Wadjet Eye founder Dave Gilbert confirmed the problem on September 13, saying Steam had classified Nighthawks as an adult game and excluded it from searches. The classification is part of Steam's own adult-content system rather than a rating issued by an external ratings board.

The effects go beyond making the store listing harder to discover. Gilbert said the classification has resulted in Nighthawks being delisted entirely in certain countries, making its Steam store listing unavailable in those markets.

Wadjet Eye is now working with Valve in an attempt to change the classification before launch. Valve has not publicly explained its decision or announced a reversal.

Richard Cobbett, who wrote and designed Nighthawks, told PC Gamer that the situation was particularly damaging because Steam visibility is so important for the game ahead of release. His comments were provided directly to the publication as part of its reporting on the classification.

The timing leaves the team with little room to resolve the problem. Nighthawks launches on September 22 after years in development, meaning its final pre-release period is now being spent trying to restore normal visibility on its main PC storefront.

Gilbert says Valve is under the impression that Nighthawks contains significantly more sexual material than it actually does.

The game's own Steam description provides some context for that dispute. The Curiosity Engine describes Nighthawks as containing strong language, adult situations, and occasional non-explicit nudity during romance scenes.

It also states that most of its mature material is conveyed through text. According to the listing, the game does not contain graphic sex scenes or sexual violence. Cobbett similarly described the romance content as mild, with scenes generally relying on dialogue, comedy, censored nudity, or fading away rather than explicit sexual imagery.

Nighthawks still deals with adult subject matter. Its vampire story includes sex, murder, blood, relationships, and supernatural manipulation, but the team is disputing whether the way those subjects are depicted warrants the Steam classification now affecting the game's availability.

The classification has not resulted in a delay. Steam continues to list Nighthawks for September 22 on Windows, macOS, and Linux, with The Curiosity Engine credited as developer and Wadjet Eye Games as publisher.

The RPG follows a newly created vampire trying to establish a life in a city where vampires have recently become known to the public. Players take control of a struggling nightclub while building relationships and navigating the city's supernatural community.

That premise is secondary to the immediate problem facing the team. With release approaching, Wadjet Eye is still trying to overturn a classification that has reduced the game's visibility and made its Steam listing unavailable in some countries.

As of September 15, Valve has not publicly announced that the classification has been changed.