While there are certainly games that will go against the TOS, the current games that have been suspended have none of this stuff. False flags basically. It’s also logistically impossible to do all this since the Itch staff is practically three people. I expect the situation to devolve to what’s happening in Tumblr: inconsistent banning that makes everything feel unfair.
One of the reasons I brought up Nadia Nova’s games is that she doesn’t have any of this. Her games are somewhat known by queer audiences. It’s really baffling that they are removed.
I do not believe for a second that payment processors and the group are concerned about criminal matters. One of the reasons I linked the VICE article is how the group tried to target Detroit: Become Human for depicting bad parenting – apparently, this is grounds for child abuse. This is clearly a misreading in bad faith, and I think this is being generally applied to many cases like Nadia’s games.
Indeed, I am doubtful if this will be “settled in due course”. There’s a real slippery slope going on here since it’s affecting queer media on the whole and even some more. The takeover by the puritanical right is real.
I’ve been calm after hours of panicking in class/work, but I won’t downplay how it’s one of the most horrible developments in 2025. Pandora’s box has been opened, and I’m now unsure if I’ll ever upload a game to Itch after this, even if I recognize not everything can be blamed on the site.
I feel like there will be a seismic shift in the coming days on how we surf the internet. Itch being taken down so easily means very few spaces are safe for queer developers. Queer people will always be viewed as pornographic, sexualized objects by payment processors and executives; they are the most vulnerable to this kind of censorship in the name of “protecting the youth/women”. If this ever settles down, it’s to a new “normal” that is extremely restrictive on queer and adult media.
I cannot but help be concerned about the near future of the internet and even the world. Itch may weather this, but I don’t think queer people can. They need more reporting, help, and presence than ever.