‘Epic made provably incorrect statements’: Horses dev accuses Epic Games Store of ghosting and misrepresenting content ban

Santa Ragione, developer of the controversial horror game Horses, publicly disputes Epic Games Store’s justification for banning the title, claiming Epic misrepresented the game’s content, refused to share evidence for its Adults Only (AO) rating, and “effectively ghosted” the studio in the process.

Santa Ragione’s Horses was pulled from the Epic Games Store just one day before its scheduled release after Epic invoked violations of its “Inappropriate Content” and “Hateful or Abusive Content” guidelines. The removal came shortly after Steam also refused to distribute the game, threatening Santa Ragione’s financial stability, with studio founder Pietro Righi Riva telling Eurogamer that “it could face closure if Horses didn’t sell well.”

Epic Games’ senior communications manager, Brian Sharon, outlined the company’s process in a statement to Eurogamer on 8 February 2026:

• “Our team played the game and found it violated the Epic Games Store’s Content Guidelines, specifically the ‘Inappropriate Content’ and ‘Hateful or Abusive Content’ policies.”
• “We did a secondary check by filling out the ratings questionnaire for the game ourselves and the content got an Adults Only (AO) rating – which we do not allow on the Store.”
• “Because this wasn’t an official submission, we do not have a certificate to share with the team. We did give the developers context around the policies they violated.”
• “When they appealed, we reviewed the content again, and let them know the decision was appropriately applied and will remain in place.”

According to Santa Ragione, Epic’s emailed notification arrived just 24 hours before launch. The correspondence cited policy breaches regarding “inappropriate content” and “hateful or abusive content,” clarifying that Horses was alleged to “promote abuse and animal abuse” and to “contain explicit or frequent depictions of sexual behaviour or [content] not appropriately labeled, rated, or age-gated.” Epic told the developer that their internal review of the International Age Rating Coalition (IARC) questionnaire resulted in an AO rating, automatically prohibiting distribution on the platform.

Public Dispute over Content and Process

Santa Ragione vehemently opposed Epic’s reasoning, accusing the company of misinformation and lack of transparency. In a direct statement on 7 February 2026, the studio wrote:

• “Epic made provably incorrect statements about the game’s content, refused to provide details supporting their claims, and has not shared their claimed AO IARC certificate, which normally includes a link for the developer to appeal. They do not ‘love that studio’, they have effectively ghosted us.”

They further argued: “The fact that the game does not deserve an AO rating is apparent from the widely available full walkthroughs on YouTube and Twitch, as well as from its distribution on the Humble Store.”

This contradicts earlier remarks from Epic VP Steve Allison, who stated to Game File:

• “We love [Santa Ragione] [… but the studio’s] answers were just different than… some of the moderators’ were after they played through the game”.

Game File’s Stephen Totilo clarified on social media that the Steam ban triggered Epic’s own review, which typically relies on a self-reported submission to a ratings coalition. However, in this instance, Epic’s team reportedly filled out the rating assessment themselves since no official submission was completed.

Aftermath and Developer Response

Despite facing bans from both Steam and Epic Games Store, Santa Ragione managed some financial recovery. The studio confirmed that it has “generated enough to repay the loans it took out in order to finish developing the game, as well as the royalties owed to Horses creator Andrea Lucco Borlera.” The game remains available through alternative platforms, including the Humble Store, and comprehensive gameplay footage is accessible on YouTube and Twitch, raising further debate over the appropriateness of the AO classification.

This incident underscores the challenges independent studios face navigating content policies of major digital platforms, especially when processes lack transparency and direct communication breaks down. As of February 2026, Santa Ragione maintains that Epic’s actions and statements about Horses are not only unsupported but have materially jeopardised the studio’s prospects.

• Epic Games’ official justification: Violation of “Inappropriate Content” and “Hateful or Abusive Content” policies; AO rating via internally-completed IARC questionnaire.
• Santa Ragione’s rebuttal: Claims of factual inaccuracy by Epic; lack of access to AO certificate; asserts Horses is available on other platforms without similar content warnings.
• Platforms affected: Banned from Steam and Epic Games Store; available on Humble Store and streaming platforms.
• Financial outcome: Studio reports repaying development loans and royalties, but faces ongoing viability risks.