Funko has issued a statement regarding the temporary suspension of the Itch.io indie game marketplace, allegedly caused by their brand protection software, BrandShield. Let's examine Funko's response.
Funko's Public Statement and Clarification
Funko's official X (formerly Twitter) post expressed respect for the indie gaming community and its creators. They admitted that BrandShield flagged an Itch.io page mimicking the Funko Fusion development website, leading to a takedown request. Crucially, Funko emphasized they did not request a complete Itch.io shutdown and were relieved the platform was restored quickly. They've initiated private discussions with Itch.io to address the issue and appreciate the community's understanding.
Itch.io's Perspective: More Than a Simple Takedown
However, Itch.io owner Leaf's Hacker News post provides a different perspective. He clarifies the incident wasn't a simple takedown request but a "fraud and phishing report" sent to both Itch.io's host and registrar. The registrar's automated system reacted by taking down the entire domain, despite Leaf's immediate action to remove the offending page. Leaf also notes, a detail omitted from Funko's statement, that Funko's team contacted his mother.
For a more comprehensive understanding of the initial shutdown, refer to Game8's previous report on the Itch.io outage.
