Itch.io says it was shut down by Funko

Gaming platform itch.io was shut down after what it calls a “bogus report” from the creators of Funkopop.

The web-based gaming store front was temporarily offline on Monday (9 December) because of what it alleged was a false phishing report from Funko, the creator of the popular figurines.

“I kid you not, itch.io has been taken down by [Funko] because they use some trash ‘AI-powered’ brand protection software called BrandShield that created some bogus phishing report to our registrar,” a spokesperson for the platform claimed.

According to the store-front, which posted on X/Twitter, a site “ignored our response” and disabled the domain.

Phishing is a type of online scam in which assailants use false credentials, such as a fake email or phone number, to trick users into giving sensitive information.

Itch.io hosts more than 5,000 LGBTQ+ games as well as several fan projects, many of which could use Funko’s brand name.

I kid you not, @itchio has been taken down by @OriginalFunko because they use some trash "AI Powered" Brand Protection Software called @BrandShieldltd that created some bogus Phishing report to our registrar, @iwantmyname, who ignored our response and just disabled the domain

— itch.io (@itchio) December 9, 2024

“For transparency, we did take the disputed page down as soon as we got the notice because it’s not worth fighting stuff like that,” the spokesperson continued. “Regardless, our registrar’s automated system likely kicked to disable the domain since no one read our confirmation of removal.”

Itch.io briefly created a new IP address to help users whose games and software had gone offline.

“If the downtime exceeds eight hours, then we’ll likely prioritise deploying a new domain. Hopefully, things are able to get sorted before then.”

Itch.io’s domain has since gone back online, along with its millions of games and experiences. Funko have yet to release a statement.

Speaking to Polygon, domain brand iwantmyname said that itch.io was “already reinstated earlier today after the registrant finally responded to our notice and took appropriate action to resolve the issue.”

PinkNews has approached Itch.io and Funko for comment.

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