They say you should never expect the unexpected, but Funko's actions on December 9 unexpectedly shocked the whole gaming community.
The company allegedly caused the takedown of itch.io’s domain thanks to "some trash AI-Powered Brand Protection Software called BrandShield.", according to itch.io.
itch.io took to X and shared that the figurine manufacturer had taken their website down due to a bogus phishing report, which itch.io immediately responded to.
However, the site remained offline for several hours. Eventually, it went back online, disrupting not just itch.io itself but also the massive number of users who use the digital storefront to sell games and upload their gaming projects.
What's more ridiculous is that itch.io tweeted that Funko has been calling their mom, probably to tattletale about them and what's happening. itch.io uploaded a screenshot on X that shows a message from their mom saying she received a "strange call about accusatory statements on your social media account".
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Imagine a big company like Funko calling your mom and telling you on about what you are posting on social media. This level of ridiculousness is off the charts, possibly topping everything 2024 has thrown into the gaming community.
Supporters and fans of the digital platform sarcastically commented that it's now their turn to tell on Funko's mom, referencing the company's recent action against itch.io.
This is a "call-my-mom-and-I-call-your-mom-too" kind of situation, most popular among toddlers and kids in grade school. Funko's alleged phone call to itch.io's mom reflects on how the company wants to deal with the issue.
Funko has recently posted a lengthy tweet saying that they did request the takedown of the platform. One fan tweeted that it has "Lot of words to *not* say “we are sorry” about this."
Another user said "One can only imagine how many websites/profiles were taken down by mistake", further cementing the possibility of Funko closing down itch.io's site by mistake without even apologizing for it.
BrandShield is also being criticized by many gamers and fans in a Reddit post. The brand protection software hunts down online trademark infringement and brand abuse, which resulted in a hurried removal of itch.io's website.
One Redditor said "likely that BrandShield is doing it to produce faster results for their customers, and so look better." - a perfect example of the idiom "haste makes waste".
As of the time of this writing, there are no updates yet from either itch.io or Funko's sides. Regardless, this tattletale episode is a reminder that 2024 is almost over and a new gaming year is upon us so be sure to stay updated with the latest gaming news and stories by following Gfinity Esports.
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