In December 2024, itch.io went offline across its entire domain after its domain registrar disabled the site. itch.io said the action followed a phishing report that originated with Funko’s brand-protection vendor, BrandShield. Contemporary coverage tied the underlying complaint to a single user page about Funko Fusion, not to itch.io as a whole. So the headline is accurate about the outage and the attribution, but the scope of what Funko asked for is narrower than “taken down” implies. Everything about Funko’s side comes from secondary reporting, and every claim about cause is itch.io’s own account.
What happened on December 9, 2024
The outage was reported on December 9, 2024. itch.io published a post that day, shared on Bluesky, saying the platform had been taken down by Funko. The post blamed BrandShield, which it described as “Brand Protection Software,” for filing a report it called bogus, and said the registrar, iwantmyname, ignored the platform’s response and disabled the domain. Those are itch.io’s characterizations. They have not been independently verified as to the content or intent of the report.
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| 1 |
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Funko POP! Movies: Friday the 13th - Jason Voorhees | $12.90 | Buy on Amazon |
Page versus domain: the gap at the center of the story
The disagreement is about scope. A complaint about one page and a domain-level suspension are two different actions, and the reporting treats them that way.
| Question | What the reporting says | Source of the claim |
|---|---|---|
| What the complaint concerned | A single user page described as a fan page for Funko Fusion, with links to the game’s official site and screenshots | Operator Leafo, as relayed by TorrentFreak; itch.io’s account in Video Games Chronicle |
| What was taken offline | The entire itch.io domain | itch.io’s December 9, 2024 post and contemporary reporting |
| Mechanism | The registrar, iwantmyname, disabled the domain; TorrentFreak reported the domain status as “serverHold” | itch.io’s account; TorrentFreak |
| Did itch.io remove the page? | Yes, according to itch.io, which said it removed the page as soon as it received notice | itch.io, as reported by Video Games Chronicle |
| Funko’s reported request | Action against the specific page, not a takedown of itch.io as a platform | Secondary reporting only; no direct Funko statement identified |
| Restoration timing | Not stated in the reporting reviewed | Not stated |
How the takedown unfolded, according to itch.io
- BrandShield, acting for Funko, reportedly filed a phishing complaint with the domain registrar. itch.io describes the report as bogus. The report’s actual contents were not published alongside the coverage.
- itch.io says it removed the disputed Funko Fusion fan page after receiving notice of the complaint.
- itch.io says the registrar, iwantmyname, did not recognize that removal response before acting.
- The registrar disabled the domain. The domain status was reported as “serverHold,” which left the whole site unreachable rather than the one page.
- itch.io’s public post on December 9, 2024, was its main channel for explaining the outage to users.
Funko’s reported position
Funko’s side reaches readers only through secondary reporting. That reporting says Funko’s request concerned the particular page and did not seek a takedown of itch.io as a whole. No direct public statement from Funko was identified for this article, so the position should be read as reported, not as Funko’s own words. This article does not put quotation marks around any paraphrase of it.
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itch.io’s own wording
The most direct primary material is itch.io’s Bluesky post from December 9, 2024. It reads:
“I kid you not, @itch.io has been taken down by Funko of “Funko Pop” because they use some trash “AI Powered” Brand Protection Software called Brand Shield that created some bogus Phishing report to our registrar, iwantmyname, who ignored our response and just disabled the domain”
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Read it as itch.io’s allegation. It is the platform’s account of responsibility, and it names both the vendor and the registrar.
What the reporting does not establish
- Intent. Nothing reviewed establishes that Funko intended to take the whole platform offline. The reporting attributes the domain-wide effect to the registrar’s action on a complaint.
- The content of the BrandShield report. The coverage relies on itch.io’s description of it.
- When service returned. The reporting describes a past disruption and does not give a restoration time.
- A direct Funko statement. Funko’s position is known only secondhand.
Not the same as the July 2025 adult-content changes
itch.io made a separate announcement in July 2025 about deindexing adult NSFW content from browse and search, following scrutiny from payment processors and a campaign by Collective Shout. That was a different issue with a different cause and should not be read back into the December 2024 outage.
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- PREMIUM VINYL MATERIAL - Made from high-quality, durable vinyl, this collectible is built to last and withstand daily wear, ensuring long-lasting enjoyment for fans and collectors alike.
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- EXPAND YOUR COLLECTION - Add this unique Ghostface vinyl display piece to your growing assortment of Funko Pop! figures, and seek out other rare and exclusive collectible items for a complete set
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For readers who want the broader context, the December 2024 story is about a registrar-level action against the whole domain. The July 2025 change was a platform policy and compliance decision about content visibility.
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- LEADING POP CULTURE BRAND - Trust in the expertise of Funko, the premier creator of pop culture merchandise that includes vinyl figures, action toys, plush, apparel, board games, and more.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
