Epic Games clarified to Italian developer Santa Ragione why their game Horses was removed from the Epic Games Store. The developer disagrees and says Epic made false claims about the game and failed to engage in proper communication. The disagreement has now become public, with both sides sharing their views.
Epic Games, senior communications manager, Brian Sharon, in a talk with GamesRadar+, explained that the game was removed in December 2025, just one day before its planned launch. He added that, the game broke rules related to Inappropriate Content and Hateful or Abusive Content. He also said its internal review, done through the International Age Rating Coalition (IARC) system, decided the game should have an Adults Only (AO) rating.
The Epic Games Store does not allow AO-rated games, except in a few special cases like some blockchain or NFT titles. Because of this rule, Epic said the game could not be released. The company also said there is no formal rating certificate to give the developer because the rating came from an internal check, not an official submission.
Santa Ragione says this decision is unfair. The studio says Epic made provably incorrect statements about the game and did not stay in contact with them. The situation became more tense after Epic vice president Steve Allison said in an interview with Game File that Epic “loves” the studio.
Santa Ragione replied on social media, saying that statement did not match their experience and that the game had been misrepresented.
The developer describes Horses as a surreal horror game meant to criticize violence and control.
The game shows people wearing horse masks, which the studio says is part of its message and not meant to promote abuse. Santa Ragione also pointed out that the game is available on other platforms, including the Humble Store, and that walkthrough videos can be found on YouTube. They say this shows the game should not have an AO rating.
This is not the first time the game has faced problems. In 2023, Steam removed Horses, saying it had concerns about depictions of sexual conduct involving a minor, which the developer also denied.
Even with these problems, the game sold about 18,000 copies on GOG and itch.io in its first two weeks. The developer said this money helped pay debts, but without support from major stores, the studio has started winding down its operations.
The dispute also shows a bigger problem in the gaming industry. Online stores now control which games people can easily find and play, so if a small studio loses access to these platforms, it can hurt their business a lot. At the same time, situations like this make it clear that it’s not always easy to decide how to judge games that use shocking or disturbing images to share a message or make a social point.
On X (Twitter), many people are reacting with confusion and criticism about the controversy.
One user said they are surprised that such a serious problem was found so close to the game’s release, suggesting that Epic’s review or checking system may not have worked properly.
https://x.com/AIWorkflowGuide/status/2021013282442838153
Another user said they don’t feel sorry for the developers, because they chose to take money from Epic and should have known the risks, adding that Steam may charge more but gives better support.
https://x.com/DeAggroPrime/status/2021012371909861823
A third user reacted in a more emotional and sarcastic way, simply saying that Epic doesn’t care about customers or businesses.
https://x.com/theejankanator/status/2021013600366887423
For now, the disagreement remains unresolved. Epic says it followed its rules, while Santa Ragione says the game has been misunderstood and treated unfairly.
