According to IGN, CD Projekt’s PC game storefront GOG is actively supporting indie horror game Horses after Valve banned it from Steam permanently. The game from Italian developer Santa Ragione is scheduled to launch on December 2 across multiple platforms including Epic Games Store, GOG, Itch.io, and Humble Store, but not Steam despite the developer tweaking the game after initial feedback. Valve confirmed its decision is “final” after reviewing the build back in 2023, leaving the developer facing what they call a “high risk” of studio closure due to Steam’s market dominance. GOG has now launched pre-orders for Horses and is prominently featuring the game while stating that “players should be able to choose the experiences that speak to them.”
The Steam power problem
Here’s the thing that makes this situation so brutal for small developers: Steam basically controls PC gaming distribution. When Valve says no, it’s not just one store rejecting your game – it’s the primary marketplace that can make or break your studio’s survival. Santa Ragione’s Pietro Righi Riva put it bluntly – this rejection puts them at “high risk” of closure. That’s terrifying when you consider they’ve shipped previous games like Saturnalia and MirrorMoon EP. It raises the obvious question: should any single company have this much power over which games get to reach players?
GOG’s PR play
Now GOG is making what looks like a calculated move here. They’re not just quietly adding Horses to their catalog – they’re pushing pre-orders, featuring it on their homepage, and sending out press alerts. This is classic “good guy” positioning against Steam’s gatekeeping. CD Projekt has always positioned GOG as the more developer-friendly alternative, and this situation gives them perfect ammunition. But let’s be real – GOG’s market share is tiny compared to Steam. While the gesture is meaningful, it probably won’t move the needle much for Santa Ragione’s bottom line.
Valve’s opaque process
The most frustrating part? Valve still hasn’t explained exactly why Horses got the permanent ban hammer. We know they reviewed the build in 2023, expressed concerns based on the store page, played through the game, and decided it violated their guidelines. But what specific content crossed the line? Valve’s statement is corporate speak at its finest – lots of words saying very little. Meanwhile, developers are left guessing what might trigger similar rejections for their own projects. Basically, you’re building a game with zero clarity about what might get you banned from the platform that matters most.
Bigger implications
This isn’t just about one indie horror game. Righi Riva’s call for developers to collectively demand transparency from Steam highlights a systemic issue. When “very few actors control the distribution of almost all games,” as he puts it, those platforms carry responsibility for both commercial sustainability and artistic growth. The current system creates this weird dynamic where developers are “understandably scared” to criticize the platform that could make or break them. And that fear creates a chilling effect that ultimately limits what kinds of games get made and seen. The Horses situation might become a rallying cry for more developer rights – or it might just become another cautionary tale about challenging Steam’s dominance.
