Epic Blocks Debut of Indie Game Horses Just a Day Before Launch

Santa Ragione Faces Challenges After Dual Storefront Bans

The indie game developer Santa Ragione is grappling with another setback as its latest release, 'Horses', has been shut out of a major gaming platform. The studio was already in a precarious position after Valve's decision to remove the game from Steam, the leading marketplace for PC gaming, which jeopardized their potential to recover development costs.

Epic's Sudden Ban Adds to Developer's Woes

The situation has worsened as Epic Games informed Santa Ragione barely 24 hours before the intended release that 'Horses' would not be listed on their store. Despite prior approval, the game was suddenly said to breach Epic's content standards, a claim which the developers argue was broad and unsupported by the game's actual content.

Santa Ragione’s attempt to contest the decision was dismissed within twelve hours, with Epic providing no further details. In correspondence shared by the developer, Epic cited violations regarding inappropriate and possibly abusive material as the reasons for their action, emphasizing it prohibits any content promoting animal cruelty. Furthermore, Epic noted the game’s adults-only rating as another disqualifying factor.

What 'Horses' Entails

'Horses' is not your typical horror story. It revolves around a summer experience of a college student at a farm where the apparent horses are, in fact, nude humans donning horse masks, living under the guise of being horses.

Developer Defends Creative Expression

In defending its work, Santa Ragione characterizes their game as a commentary on violence and mistreatment, stating it does not endorse such behavior. The game developers have ensured that explicit scenes are moderately handled—with pixelated nudity and few brief sexual components that are carefully censored.

The Road Ahead: Limited Access Avenues

With the bans in place at Steam and Epic Games Store, 'Horses' still finds a lifeline through other outlets. It remains accessible on GOG where it has peaked as a top-seller and Itch.io. The game, priced at $5, now relies on these platforms as Santa Ragione aims to recover its $100,000 investment.

Originally slated to appear on Humble Store as well, the listing now redirects to the site’s main page, leaving the developer anxiously looking for more viable options.