Itch.io has deleted a few terabytes of AI-generated content from its platform recently and expanded the original search filtering so users can easily browse without seeing generative AI projects. The update builds on groundwork the indie game marketplace has had since Nov. 2024, when it first introduced generative AI disclosure tagging, as the platform responds to a sharp rise in uploads that has not been matched by a similar rise in downloads or purchases.
The filter appears on the left side of the Browse page under an AI Assistance section and includes a clickable No AI tag. Selecting it narrows results to projects whose creators have explicitly stated they did not use generative AI in the creative process. Note that the filter relies on self-reporting: pages that never completed a disclosure are generally not included under No AI.
What Itch.io Removed And Why
Itch.io confirmed it de-indexed bulk uploads of nearly identical AI-created games and assets that violated its content guidelines. The platform said the removals target projects that break rules that have existed for years, including an AI spam clause in its quality guidelines for more than two years, not AI tools in general.
Alongside that spam clause, Itch.io has been actively refining AI categorization since rolling out mandatory generative AI disclosure tagging in 2024. The platform’s broader policy still allows AI-generated content on the site as long as creators disclose its use and the AI contributes something of real value to the player experience.
How The No AI Filter Works For Creators And Players
For players hunting for human-made indie titles, the filter offers a direct way to screen out generative AI projects without digging through individual game pages. That stands in contrast to Steam, which requires developers to disclose AI use but hosts that information at the bottom of each store page rather than offering a filter.
For creators, the system incentivizes accurate labeling using the disclosure framework established in 2024. Projects that mark themselves as not using generative AI become visible to anyone using the No AI tag option, while titles that disclose AI involvement remain searchable but separated from that filtered view.
Why Uploads Surged On Itch.io
The number of game pages created per day on Itch.io roughly doubled, climbing from just over 3,000 to more than 6,000 between Aug. 3 and Oct. 30, 2026, according to GameSpot and Itch.io’s own reporting. The platform said that growth did not come with a similar increase in downloads or purchases. suggesting much of the new volume was not reaching players in the way established titles do.
Itch.io also said the increase is being driven by first-time uploaders rather than accounts bulk-uploading large batches of games. That distinction matters because it points to a wave of new, often inexperienced creators rather than a coordinated spam operation. The trend lines up with what’s happening elsewhere in the industry. According to PCGame, which tracks Steam AI statistics by year, the numbers have been practically doubling each year. In 2024, it recorded 13.2% self-reports of AI use, jumping to 23.9% in 2025, and as of 2026, 40.4% of new Steam games disclosed AI content.
Reaction And What Comes Next
Reaction to the filter has been mixed. Some users argued Itch.io should ban AI-generated content outright instead of just filtering it out of search results. Others questioned whether a filtering system goes far enough, noting that a full ban would carry high moderation costs for the platform.
Itch.io has not announced a timeline for expanding the filter to additional parts of the site beyond the Browse page and search results. For now, the No AI tag gives players and creators a clearer way to sort human-made games from AI-assisted ones as the debate over labeling and enforcement continues across the industry.
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