Epic Games has defended its decision to ban the indie horror game Horses from the Epic Games Store, citing violations of its Content Guidelines related to inappropriate and hateful content. Despite developer Santa Ragione’s accusations that Epic made “provably incorrect statements” and refused to provide detailed reasons or an official Adults Only (AO) rating certificate, Epic maintains it conducted thorough reviews and upheld the ban after an appeal. The game, which features disturbing live-action sequences on a horse farm and was previously banned from Steam, has sparked controversy over perceived censorship and the lack of transparent content policies from major digital platforms.

Despite these distribution challenges, Horses has sold over 18,000 copies and generated $65,000 in net revenue, enough to cover loans and royalties. The game has received mixed but generally positive critical reception, with reviewers noting its impactful storytelling despite some gameplay flaws. Santa Ragione continues to call for clearer rules and accountability from dominant digital storefronts, highlighting the difficulties indie developers face when controversial content leads to platform bans.