The Entire itch.io Site Down Due to Funko's Brand Protection Software

Itch.io, a renowned platform for indie creations, found itself in a rather unexpected predicament. The entire website was taken offline, and the finger was pointed directly at toy manufacturer Funko. According to a thread on its official X account, itch.io alleges that a "bogus phishing report" led to the site's shutdown. Funko, it claims, was using 'brand protection software' that, through AI, flagged a disputed page and filed a false report with itch.io's domain registrar. Instead of verifying the situation, the registrar brought down the entire site.

Transparency and Quick Action

For transparency's sake, itch.io took the disputed page down as soon as they received the notice. They believe it's not worth fighting such issues. However, the registrar's automated system likely kicked in and disabled the domain without properly checking the removal. This incident has left the creators of over 1 million indie-created products, including indie games, RPGs, comics, and music, in a bind.

Impact on Indie Creators

The longer the site remains down, the more severe the problem becomes for these indie creators. While the downtime means they can no longer sell or distribute their products, the DRM-free nature of the downloads ensures that those who have already purchased and installed indie games from itch.io can continue to use them without any glitches. It's a double-edged sword for them, as they await the resolution of this issue.

Servers Are Still There

Itch.io has confirmed to a user on X that their servers "are still there." This gives hope to the indie community that the site will be back up and running soon. But until the issue is fully resolved, the site and its extensive collection of indie creations will remain inaccessible. The fate of these indie projects hangs in the balance as they wait for the restoration of itch.io.