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Itch.io says it has removed “a couple terabytes” of AI-generated material as the number of new game pages on its platform roughly doubled between Aug. 3 and Oct. 30. The company is expanding AI-disclosure requirements and adding search filters, while saying first-time uploaders—not bulk uploaders—drove the increase.
Itch.io says it has removed “a couple terabytes” of AI-generated content as the indie-game platform responds to a surge in new game-page uploads. The company reported that daily page creation roughly doubled between Aug. 3 and Oct. 30, and is expanding disclosure rules and search filters so users can identify or hide games that use generative AI.
A graph shared by Itch.io showed the number of game pages created each day rising from just over 3,000 on Aug. 3 to more than 6,000 on Oct. 30. The platform said the increase was not matched by a similar rise in downloads or purchases. It has not supplied figures for sales or downloads in the source material, so the scale of that gap cannot be quantified.
Itch.io said first-time uploaders, rather than bulk uploaders, were driving the increase. The company has separately acted against one account that posted many near-identical AI-generated games, saying bulk uploads of that kind violate its existing content guidelines and that the titles were removed from search indexing.
The company is also applying AI-disclosure requirements to its tabletop games, books, comics and soundtracks categories. Uploaders must say whether and how they used AI tools, including when AI-generated material was edited later. Itch.io said it is adding disclosure-based filters in more parts of the site, including search results, and has increased moderation.
How New Filters Could Change Discovery
The changes give players a way to filter search results by AI disclosure rather than relying only on moderation to remove unwanted material. That could make it easier to find games whose creators disclose their use of generative tools, while leaving people who prefer not to see AI-assisted work with a practical site-level option.
The upload surge also puts pressure on a storefront where visibility depends on browsing and search. If game pages multiply without a comparable rise in purchases or downloads, creators may face more competition for attention. Itch.io has not published evidence showing how the increase has affected discovery or individual developers, so that impact remains a concern rather than a measured outcome.
Some users have called for a complete ban on AI-generated content. The steps announced so far instead focus on disclosure, filtering and moderation. That approach preserves access to AI-assisted work but does not satisfy those seeking a blanket exclusion.
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The Upload Spike Behind the Changes
Itch.io’s figures surfaced after the company posted a chart of daily game-page creation. In response to a user asking on Bluesky what might explain the rise, the platform replied, “Take a guess.” The response pointed toward generative AI, but the company’s more specific explanation was that first-time uploaders were responsible for the increase.
The platform already had content policies that it cited when addressing a burst of near-identical uploads from one user. It said those bulk uploads were against its guidelines and were de-indexed from search. It also clarified that this example was not the main driver of the overall trend.
The issue is part of a wider increase in AI-related content across digital game storefronts. Kotaku’s report noted that Steam’s Next Fest had more demos than ever, with generative AI identified as a significant factor, and that Epic Games has argued developers should be free to use AI. Those examples provide industry context; they do not establish that the same factors explain Itch.io’s upload figures.
““Take a guess.””
— Itch.io, responding on Bluesky to a question about the upload increase
What the Upload Figures Do Not Show
Itch.io has not published a breakdown of the new pages by category, the share that use generative AI, or the number removed. The stated “couple terabytes” describes data volume, not a count of games or creators, and the source does not explain how the amount was calculated.
The company also has not said how many pages were removed from search or whether those pages were deleted from the platform altogether. The graph’s dates are provided, but the available information does not give a full daily series or a longer-term baseline. It is also unclear when all expanded disclosures and filters will be available to users.
Itch.io’s statement that downloads and purchases did not show a similar rise is not accompanied by underlying figures. The available information therefore confirms the upload trend as presented by the company, but does not establish its commercial effect or the proportion attributable to AI.
Rollout of Disclosure-Based Search
Itch.io says it is adding generative-AI disclosure filters to additional parts of the site, including search results, and extending disclosure requirements to more categories. The next practical test will be whether users can apply those filters consistently and whether disclosures give them enough information to distinguish different kinds of AI use.
The company has not announced a date for completing the rollout or said whether it will change its rules further. It also has not indicated that it plans to ban AI-generated games outright. For now, its stated response combines more moderation, required disclosures and user filtering, with further details and results still to come.
Key Questions
What did Itch.io remove?
Itch.io said it removed “a couple terabytes” of AI-generated material. It did not provide a count of the games or pages involved.
How much did new game-page creation increase?
The company’s graph showed daily game-page creation rising from just over 3,000 on Aug. 3 to more than 6,000 on Oct. 30. It said downloads and purchases did not rise similarly but did not provide comparative figures.
Is Itch.io banning AI-generated games?
No blanket ban was announced. The measures described are disclosure requirements, moderation and filters that let users hide content marked as using generative AI.
Who does Itch.io say is driving the upload surge?
The company said the increase is driven by first-time uploaders, not bulk uploaders like a separate account that posted many similar games.
When will the new search filters be available?
Itch.io said it was adding disclosure filters in more areas, including search results, but the available information does not give a completion date.
Source: kotaku.com
