The 'Valve's Adult Anime Visual Novel Crackdown' meme refers to the period starting around May 2018 when Steam began issuing warnings to developers of anime-styled visual novels regarding 'pornographic' content. This triggered an uproar in the gaming community, as fans pointed out the double standards between Western AAA titles with explicit scenes and the targeted Japanese-style games. The meme usually highlights the tension between Valve's inconsistent enforcement and the niche but dedicated visual novel fanbase. It is commonly used to criticize corporate gatekeeping, censorship inconsistencies, or the irony of Steam's library management, often featuring Gabe Newell as a central figure in the enforcement of these sudden policy shifts.