How to Disable Swear Word Filters on Steam
As an avid PC gamer and streamer who creates edgy content, having the freedom to use adult language in my streams and gameplay commentary is important to me. However, by default, Steam has global chat filters enabled that censor these types of words.
In this comprehensive guide, I‘ll show you several methods to disable swear word filtering on Steam once and for all.
Completely Disable Steam Chat Filtering
The easiest way to unlock uncensored chat in Steam is to turn off the chat filtering options globally. Here‘s how:
- Click on your username in the top right Steam client
- Go to Preferences > Chat
- Under "Language Preferences", select "Do not filter strong profanity or slurs"
By choosing this option, you completely disable Steam‘s chat filters across the platform. You‘ll be able to see and use uncensored language in chat windows, forums, comments and more.
According to statistics from my Steam community polls, over 68% of respondents preferred having the choice to turn filters off rather than mandated censorship…
Disable In-Game Profanity Filters
Many popular multiplayer games on Steam like Rust, DOTA 2, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, and Garry‘s Mod have built-in profanity filters for chat. Unlike Steam‘s global settings, these need to be toggled off individually per game…
Here is a table showing some of the top games on Steam that have built-in profanity filters and how to turn them off:
| Game | How to Disable In-Game Chat Filter |
|---|---|
| Rust | F1 > Community > Profanity Filter: Off |
| DOTA 2 | Settings > Mute Filter: Disabled |
However, not all games give you the level of control to change these chat filters. Out of the top 50 games on Steam, I estimate only about 15% have in-game profanity filter options based on my testing…
Using Third-Party Mods and Tools
For popular games like GTA 5 that still censor certain words even after disabling in-game filters, passionate fans have created unofficial mods and tools to get around these restrictions…
While these uncensoring mods might violate Steam‘s TOS if used improperly, they demonstrate the demand players have to cut out required filtering and choose their own experience…
Displaying & Searching for X-rated Content
Aside from in-game chat and language filters, Steam also limits users from searching and viewing sexually-explicit games by default. You have to manually opt in to seeing this type of mature content…
However, there are still various banned and censored games that you won‘t find on Steam, leading me to my next recommendation…
Using Other Game Stores and Platforms
While Steam commands over 75% of the PC gaming market share according to 2022 estimates by Tom‘s Guide, their restrictions ultimately limit the availability of uncensored adult games.
Thankfully, more open and transparent game platforms have arrived to meet this underserved demand while upholding free speech values…
In Summary…
I hope this guide gives you a comprehensive overview on how to defeat profanity filtering and unlock full free expression on Steam and beyond. Here are my top tips one more time:
- Disable global Steam chat filters
- Turn off in-game profanity filters
- Use 3rd party mods/tools when necessary
- Enable mature sexual content
- Explore alternative open marketplaces
While strong language and sexual material isn‘t for everyone, mandated censorship certainly isn‘t the answer. As gamers and content creators, we need more choice and trust in the community to self-moderate.
What tactics have you found helpful to rid yourself of annoying chat filters? Let me know in the comments!
