Itch.io has resumed operations following a brief shutdown caused by a "bogus phishing report" issued by Funko

Initial Report, December 9 2024: Earlier today, Itch.io experienced a temporary outage, but it seems the platform is now operational again.

The issue came to light following a notice on the official Itch.io BlueSky profile indicating that the outage was due to actions by Funko, the makers of Funko Pop figures.

The message read, "...They use a questionable 'AI powered' brand protection tool named Brand Shield that wrongfully filed a phishing allegation with our registrar, iwantmyname, leading to the domain being disabled without considering our response."

However, it appears that the website has resumed full operations, implying the situation has been handled.

The specifics of what raised Funko's or Brand Shield's concerns about phishing on Itch.io remain unclear.

In the prior month, Itch.io implemented a policy requiring developers to disclose any use of generative AI in game creation, covering elements like graphics, sound, text, and code.

Update, December 10 2024: Funko issued a statement on X, clarifying their complaint was aimed at a particular page on Itch.io, not the entire platform. The page was allegedly "copying the Funko Fusion development site."

Funko clarified, "We never pursued a takedown of the Itch.io site, and we're relieved it's operational again today."

The contentious page was flagged by a brand protection partner, but Funko refrained from naming the tool, nor did they address Itch.io's remarks about "some trash 'AI-powered'... software."

Funko further stated, "We have contacted Itch.io to resolve the matter and appreciate the gaming community's patience as we sort out the details."

Simultaneously, Itch.io confirmed through its X profile that the site was restored, according to a report from GamesIndustry.biz. The platform also confirmed it had removed the page in question after Funko's alert.

"Challenging such matters isn't worthwhile," the Itch.io team acknowledged, adding that their registrar's automatic system may have triggered the domain deactivation because their removal notification was overlooked.