Japanese indie developer Mousou no Mayu has reported that their bank is refusing to process international transfers related to the Steam version of their anime-style deckbuilding RPG Hustle Battle: Card Gamers, leaving them without their legally earned income.
Hustle Battle: Card Gamers is an R-rated game that originally released on Japanese platforms like DLsite and Fanza in December 2024. The Steam version, which is localized and adapted for audiences of all ages, was released in March this year through US-based publisher Kagura Games.
In a series of X posts from May 12, developer Mousou no Mayu said they were set to receive a payment from Kagura Games related to earnings from Hustle Battle: Card Gamers, but instead received a call from Daishi Hokuetsu Bank which suggested the transaction might not be accepted. Based on the exchange, the developer got the impression that this was related to the nature of the game, as the bank “seemed to be looking into it” and asked euphemistic questions like “is this revenue from a game featuring girls?”
The following day, Mousou no Mayu visited their bank, and were informed that international payments related to Hustle Battle: Card Gamers’ Steam version would indeed not be processed. The bank said the decision was based on “thorough review of the game’s content.” Although the developer made it clear that the Steam release was an all-ages version, the bank maintained its stance, arguing that it judged that “the characters appear to be minors,” which led to the content being deemed problematic.
Additionally, Mousou no Mayu was informed that “depending on future decisions,” the bank could potentially refuse to process even domestic transfers, meaning they would be blocked from receiving revenue from DLsite and Fanza. “In short, they said they would no longer accept any international transfers, and since they’re giving me a one- to two-month grace period for domestic transfers, they want me to switch to a different account for deposits during that time,” they explained. Heeding advice from industry peers, Mousou no Mayu has decided to try switching banks for the time being, but their case is only one of many as of recently.
Just last month, Mai Itsuki of indie game development circle Ren (which likewise publishes adult games) had all their overseas transactions blocked, drawing attention among fellow developers. The bank cited undisclosed “risks” as the reason, despite Ren’s titles being legally compliant. Cases like these show that Japanese banks are seemingly able to block developers’ income of their own discretion. Former Japanese assemblyman Zenko Kurishita has criticized this practice of debanking based on “flimsy reasoning,” suggesting Japan should learn from the “Guaranteeing Fair Banking For All Americans” order passed in the US last year.
