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Itch.io says it has removed “a couple terabytes” of AI-generated material as the daily number of new game pages on the 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 uploads—are driving the increase.
Itch.io says it has deleted “a couple terabytes” of AI-generated content and is expanding disclosure requirements and search filters as new game pages on the indie storefront roughly doubled over a three-month period. The platform’s posted figures show daily page creation rising from just over 3,000 on Aug. 3 to more than 6,000 on Oct. 30, without a similar increase in downloads or purchases, according to the company’s statements reported by Kotaku.
Itch.io’s graph tracked the number of game pages created each day, not sales or player activity. The company said the increase was driven by first-time uploaders, rather than bulk uploaders. The platform has not published a precise count of how many new pages were AI-generated or how much of the overall increase came from AI use.
The store has also acted against a case involving a user who posted many near-identical AI-created games. Itch.io said bulk uploads of that kind violate its existing content guidelines and that it de-indexed those titles from search. The company said that example was not the main reason for the broader rise in page creation.
In a post dated Nov. 3, Itch.io said it was adding generative-AI disclosure filtering to more areas, including search results. The company is also extending disclosure rules to tabletop games, books, comics and soundtracks. Uploaders in those categories must state whether AI tools were used and how, even if AI-generated material was later edited.
How New Filters Change Game Discovery
The increase matters because Itch.io is a platform where independent creators publish and promote games directly. A rapid rise in listings can make it harder for players to find projects they want, particularly if page creation grows without a comparable rise in downloads and purchases. The company’s planned search filters give users a way to exclude disclosed AI content without removing every such listing from the store.
The changes also affect creators beyond game developers. Extending disclosure requirements across books, comics, tabletop games and soundtracks makes AI-use labeling a broader part of publishing on Itch.io. The approach leaves the content available while giving buyers more information and control over what appears in their searches.
Itch.io has not announced a general ban on AI-made games. Its response instead combines disclosures, filtering and moderation. That leaves unresolved how consistently the rules can be applied at the scale of the reported upload increase, and whether those measures will make discovery easier for users.
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A Sharp Rise in Daily Game Pages
The change came into focus after Itch.io posted a graph of daily game-page creation. The period shown ran from Aug. 3 to Oct. 30, during which the count rose from just over 3,000 pages a day to more than 6,000. Those figures describe page creation; they do not establish how many listings were complete games, how many used AI, or how many attracted players.
The increase comes amid wider debate over AI-generated material on digital game stores. Kotaku reported that Steam’s Next Fest had more demos than before, with generative AI contributing to the higher number, and that Epic Games has argued developers should be free to use AI. Itch.io’s own response has focused on labeling and user controls rather than a blanket restriction.
Itch.io already had policies covering AI disclosures in some areas. The latest changes extend those rules to additional categories and expand filtering in search. The company has also said it is increasing moderation and removing content it considers to violate its guidelines.
“Take a guess.”
— Itch.io, responding to a question on Bluesky about the upload increase
The Scale of AI Uploads Remains Unknown
Itch.io has not provided a precise count of AI-generated game pages, a breakdown of the “couple terabytes” by category, or details about when the removal work began and ended. The graph shows a rise in all game-page creation, not a confirmed count of AI uploads. The company has attributed the broader increase to first-time uploaders but has not disclosed how it reached that assessment.
It is also unclear how many users will use the new filters, how the platform will identify uploads that lack accurate disclosures, or whether the new rules will reduce the volume of low-quality listings. Itch.io has not announced a full ban on AI content, and the source material does not establish whether the new measures have changed downloads, purchases or search results.
Disclosure Filters Roll Out Across Itch.io
Itch.io says it is adding generative-AI disclosure filtering to search and to other areas where it was previously lacking. The company has also begun applying disclosure requirements to tabletop games, books, comics and soundtracks. The supplied information does not give a completion date for the rollout.
The next practical test will be whether users can reliably filter disclosed AI content and whether moderation can address listings that violate existing rules. Itch.io has not announced further policy changes or published a schedule for reporting the effect of the new measures.
Key Questions
How much AI-generated content did Itch.io say it removed?
The company described the amount as “a couple terabytes”. It did not provide a more exact figure or a breakdown of the removed material.
Did game uploads double because of bulk uploads?
Itch.io said first-time uploaders drove the increase in daily game pages. The company described bulk uploading as a separate problem and said the example of near-identical games was not the main cause of the overall rise.
What changes is Itch.io making to AI disclosures?
The platform is extending disclosure requirements to tabletop games, books, comics and soundtracks. Uploaders must say whether they used AI tools and how, including when AI-generated material was later edited.
Can users hide AI-disclosed games from search?
Itch.io says it is adding generative-AI disclosure filtering to search results and other parts of the site. The source material does not specify a rollout completion date or explain all filter settings.
Is Itch.io banning AI-generated games?
No general ban was announced. The measures described are disclosure rules, user filters and increased moderation, alongside enforcement against uploads that violate existing guidelines.
Source: kotaku.com
