Funko responds to the temporary shutdown of Itch.io, clarifying their role in the incident allegedly caused by their brand protection software, BrandShield. The company emphasizes its support for the indie game community.

Funko in Private Discussions with Itch.io

Funko's official X (formerly Twitter) statement expresses respect for indie games and developers. They admit a takedown request was issued for an Itch.io page mimicking a Funko Fusion development website. Crucially, Funko states they did not request a full platform takedown and are pleased Itch.io is operational again. They're now in direct communication with Itch.io to resolve the issue.

However, Itch.io's owner, Leaf, provides a more nuanced account on Hacker News, describing the action not as a simple takedown request, but as a "fraud and phishing report" that triggered automated takedown procedures by the registrar. This report, according to Leaf, was sent to both the hosting provider and registrar, resulting in the site's complete shutdown despite his swift action to remove the offending page. Leaf also notes a contact made to his mother by Funko's team, a detail omitted from Funko's public statement.

For further details on the Itch.io shutdown, refer to Game8's previous report.