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* Market Control}}'''User freedom'''
* Market Control}}'''User freedom'''


*Itch.io does not add [[Digital rights management|DRM]] to the games sold on its platform.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Creator FAQ |url=https://itch.io/docs/creators/faq |url-status=live |access-date=13 Aug 2025 |website=Itch.io |at=}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=16 Mar 2018 |title=Are games from itch.io DRM free? |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/linux_gaming/comments/850uea/are_games_from_itchio_drm_free/ |url-status=live |access-date=13 Aug 2025 |website=Reddit}}</ref>
*Itch.io does not add [[Digital rights management|DRM]] to the games sold on its platform.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Creator FAQ |url=https://itch.io/docs/creators/faq |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.is/5o1Hl |archive-date=26 Jul 2025 |access-date=13 Aug 2025 |website=Itch.io |at=}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=16 Mar 2018 |title=Are games from itch.io DRM free? |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/linux_gaming/comments/850uea/are_games_from_itchio_drm_free/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.is/WTQ5n |archive-date=8 Jan 2026 |access-date=13 Aug 2025 |website=Reddit}}</ref>


'''Business model'''
'''Business model'''
*Itch.io relies on "open revenue sharing" which sends to itch.io a percentage of the transaction chosen accordingly by the creator (default 10%).<ref>{{Cite web |date=October 2013 |title=Introducing open revenue sharing |url=https://www.tumblr.com/itchio/112709605589/introducing-open-revenue-sharing |website=Tumblr}}</ref><ref name=":0" />
*Itch.io relies on "open revenue sharing" which sends to itch.io a percentage of the transaction chosen accordingly by the creator (default 10%).<ref>{{Cite web |date=October 2013 |title=Introducing open revenue sharing |url=https://www.tumblr.com/itchio/112709605589/introducing-open-revenue-sharing |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/6RuRe |archive-date=8 Jan 2026 |website=Tumblr}}</ref><ref name=":0" />


==Incidents==
==Incidents==
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:Main article: [[Valve allows ISPs and payment processors to censor content on Steam]]
:Main article: [[Valve allows ISPs and payment processors to censor content on Steam]]


On July 11, 2025, [[Collective Shout]] issued an open statement demanding credit card payments to immediately cease processing "payments on [[Steam]] and [https://itch.io/ itch.io]". The reasoning for statement by [[Collective Shout]] was because of a game on [[itch.io]] called "''No Mercy''", which featured hardcore NSFW content. <ref name=":02">{{Cite news |last=Bita |first=Natasha |date=15 July 2025 |title=Child safety group finds 500 online 'games' role-playing rape and incest |url=https://www.theaustralian.com.au/education/child-safety-group-finds-500-online-games-roleplaying-rape-and-incest/news-story/b30c59f85ff22934844269cb3beff538 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/koDk8 |archive-date=18 July 2025 |access-date=18 July 2025 |work=The Australian}}</ref><ref name="RPSCS">{{Cite news |last=Evans-Thirlwell |first=Edwin |date=22 July 2025 |title=Anti-porn group who tried to ban GTA 5 claim credit for Steam's sex game crackdown |url=https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/anti-porn-group-who-tried-to-ban-gta-5-claim-credit-for-steams-sex-game-crackdown |access-date=23 July 2025 |work=Rock Paper Shotgun}}</ref> A few days later, itch.io responded by delisting adult content in search results.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://itch.io/updates/update-on-nsfw-content|title=Update on NSFW content|website=Itch.io|date=2025-07-24}}</ref> On July 31 itch.io re-indexed all free NSFW games but with a new "content warning" tag for games with NSFW in them.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://itch.io/t/5149036/reindexing-adult-nsfw-content|title=Reindexing adult NSFW content|website=Itch.io|date=2025-07-31}}</ref>
On July 11, 2025, [[Collective Shout]] issued an open statement demanding credit card payments to immediately cease processing "payments on [[Steam]] and [https://itch.io/ itch.io]". The reasoning for statement by [[Collective Shout]] was because of a game on [[itch.io]] called "''No Mercy''", which featured hardcore NSFW content. <ref name=":02">{{Cite news |last=Bita |first=Natasha |date=15 July 2025 |title=Child safety group finds 500 online 'games' role-playing rape and incest |url=https://www.theaustralian.com.au/education/child-safety-group-finds-500-online-games-roleplaying-rape-and-incest/news-story/b30c59f85ff22934844269cb3beff538 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/koDk8 |archive-date=18 July 2025 |access-date=18 July 2025 |work=The Australian}}</ref><ref name="RPSCS">{{Cite news |last=Evans-Thirlwell |first=Edwin |date=22 July 2025 |title=Anti-porn group who tried to ban GTA 5 claim credit for Steam's sex game crackdown |url=https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/anti-porn-group-who-tried-to-ban-gta-5-claim-credit-for-steams-sex-game-crackdown |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/AuAce |archive-date=22 Jul 2025 |access-date=23 July 2025 |work=Rock Paper Shotgun}}</ref> A few days later, itch.io responded by delisting adult content in search results.<ref>{{cite web |date=2025-07-24 |title=Update on NSFW content |url=https://itch.io/updates/update-on-nsfw-content |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/UfRuv |archive-date=18 Sep 2025 |website=Itch.io}}</ref> On July 31 itch.io re-indexed all free NSFW games but with a new "content warning" tag for games with NSFW in them.<ref>{{cite web |date=2025-07-31 |title=Reindexing adult NSFW content |url=https://itch.io/t/5149036/reindexing-adult-nsfw-content |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/e9cRU |archive-date=3 Aug 2025 |website=Itch.io}}</ref>


==References==
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}

Revision as of 09:13, 8 January 2026

Article Status Notice: This Article is a stub


This article is underdeveloped, and needs additional work to meet the wiki's Content Guidelines and be in line with our Mission Statement for comprehensive coverage of consumer protection issues. Learn more ▼

Itch.io
Basic Information
Release Year 2013
Product Type Digital storefront, Video games, Video game assets and Game Dev tools
In Production Yes
Official Website https://itch.io


itch.io is a website used to find and share video games made by independent developers online.

Consumer impact summary

Overview of concerns that arise from the company's conduct regarding (if applicable):

  • User Freedom
  • User Privacy
  • Business Model
  • Market Control

Add your text below this box. Once this section is complete, delete this box by clicking on it and pressing backspace.

User freedom

  • Itch.io does not add DRM to the games sold on its platform.[1][2]

Business model

  • Itch.io relies on "open revenue sharing" which sends to itch.io a percentage of the transaction chosen accordingly by the creator (default 10%).[3][1]

Incidents

Oxenfree incident

On September 9th, 2024, users who purchased "Oxenfree" on itch.io, were warned that the game was going to be pulled from the platform on October 1st and consumers would not be able to download the installers after this date. So they would lose access unless they had a backup of the game. Users speculated that Netflix (the parent company of the development studio) had ordered the move. However, no response from Netflix or the developers of the game was ever published. This is particularly notable because it violates itch.io's terms of service: "Users shall retain a license to this content even after the content is removed from the Service." [4][5]

De-indexing of adult games from campaign pressure

Main article: Valve allows ISPs and payment processors to censor content on Steam

On July 11, 2025, Collective Shout issued an open statement demanding credit card payments to immediately cease processing "payments on Steam and itch.io". The reasoning for statement by Collective Shout was because of a game on itch.io called "No Mercy", which featured hardcore NSFW content. [6][7] A few days later, itch.io responded by delisting adult content in search results.[8] On July 31 itch.io re-indexed all free NSFW games but with a new "content warning" tag for games with NSFW in them.[9]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 "Creator FAQ". Itch.io. Archived from the original on 26 Jul 2025. Retrieved 13 Aug 2025.
  2. "Are games from itch.io DRM free?". Reddit. 16 Mar 2018. Archived from the original on 8 Jan 2026. Retrieved 13 Aug 2025.
  3. "Introducing open revenue sharing". Tumblr. October 2013. Archived from the original on 8 Jan 2026.
  4. ShawnS (31 Jan 2025). "OXENFREE". Delisted Games. Archived from the original on 21 Mar 2025. Retrieved 27 Jun 2025.
  5. Colp, Tyler (9 Sep 2024). "Another reminder that your digital library isn't forever: Oxenfree will be completely removed from Itch.io next month". PC Gamer. Archived from the original on 23 May 2025. Retrieved 27 Jun 2025.
  6. Bita, Natasha (15 July 2025). "Child safety group finds 500 online 'games' role-playing rape and incest". The Australian. Archived from the original on 18 July 2025. Retrieved 18 July 2025.
  7. Evans-Thirlwell, Edwin (22 July 2025). "Anti-porn group who tried to ban GTA 5 claim credit for Steam's sex game crackdown". Rock Paper Shotgun. Archived from the original on 22 Jul 2025. Retrieved 23 July 2025.
  8. "Update on NSFW content". Itch.io. 2025-07-24. Archived from the original on 18 Sep 2025.
  9. "Reindexing adult NSFW content". Itch.io. 2025-07-31. Archived from the original on 3 Aug 2025.