Brandshield AI Aids Itch.io's Swift Recovery

Funko Responds to Itch.io Shutdown Caused by BrandShield

Funko has issued a public statement addressing the temporary shutdown of the Itch.io indie game marketplace, allegedly triggered by its brand protection software, BrandShield. Funko emphasized its strong support for the indie gaming community, stating it holds "deep respect and appreciation for indie games, indie gamers, and indie developers."

The company acknowledged that BrandShield flagged an Itch.io page mimicking the Funko Fusion development website, leading to a takedown request. However, Funko clarified it did not request a full platform takedown and expressed relief at Itch.io's swift restoration.

Funko is now in private discussions with Itch.io to resolve the issue. The company thanked the gaming community for its understanding while details are clarified.

Itch.io's owner, Leaf, provided additional context on Hacker News, revealing the incident involved a "fraud and phishing report" submitted to both the hosting provider and registrar. The registrar's automated system reacted by taking down the entire domain, despite Leaf's immediate action to remove the problematic page. Leaf also noted that Funko's team contacted his mother, a detail not included in Funko's official statement.

For a complete overview of the incident, please refer to Game8's previous article on Itch.io's shutdown.