Funko has issued a statement regarding the temporary suspension of the Itch.io indie game marketplace, allegedly triggered by their brand protection software. Let's delve into Funko's response. Funko Denies Ordering a Full Platform Takedown
Private Discussions Underway With Itch.io
Funko's official X (formerly Twitter) account addressed the situation, emphasizing their respect for the indie game community and its developers. They acknowledged that their brand protection partner, BrandShield, flagged an Itch.io page mimicking the Funko Fusion development website, leading to a takedown request. However, Funko explicitly stated they did not request the entire platform be taken down and expressed relief at its swift restoration.
Funko confirmed direct communication with Itch.io to resolve the matter and thanked the gaming community for their understanding while details are clarified.
Itch.io's owner, Leaf, provided further context on Hacker News, revealing the incident involved a "fraud and phishing report," not just a simple takedown request. This report reached both the hosting provider and registrar, resulting in the automated shutdown of the entire domain, despite Leaf's immediate action to remove the offending page. Leaf also noted, unmentioned in Funko's statement, that Funko's team contacted his mother.
For comprehensive details on this incident, refer to Game8's previous report on Itch.io's temporary outage.
