Funko has issued a statement regarding the temporary shutdown of Itch.io, allegedly caused by their brand protection software, BrandShield. The company emphasized its respect for the indie gaming community and clarified its role in the incident.

Funko's Statement and Ongoing Dialogue

Funko's official X (formerly Twitter) post stated their strong support for indie games and developers. They acknowledged that BrandShield flagged an Itch.io page mimicking a Funko Fusion development website, leading to a takedown request. Crucially, Funko stressed they did not request a complete Itch.io takedown and expressed relief at the platform's swift restoration.

Funko confirmed they are now in direct communication with Itch.io to address the situation and thanked the gaming community for their understanding.

However, Itch.io owner Leaf provided further context on Hacker News, revealing the takedown stemmed from a "fraud and phishing report" submitted to both the hosting provider and registrar. The registrar's automated system responded by taking down the entire domain, despite Leaf's immediate action to resolve the issue. Leaf also noted, unmentioned in Funko's statement, that Funko's team contacted his mother.

For a comprehensive account of the Itch.io shutdown, please refer to Game8's previous article.