itch.io AI stood out by announcing the removal of "a couple of terabytes" of content it described as AI slop. The action comes amid a significant increase in upload volume on the independent games platform.
According to the platform, the number of game pages created per day has doubled in the last two months, rising from around 3,000 to more than 6,000. Downloads and purchases, however, did not keep pace. The company attributed much of the volume to automated and low-effort uploads, especially poorly optimized AI-generated models and assets.
In a post on X, itch.io wrote: "Just deleted a couple terabytes of ai slop". It followed up: "Just because you can upload 10 terabytes of poorly optimized AI generated models doesn't mean you should upload 10 terabytes of poorly optimized AI generated models". The platform noted that it has had an AI spam clause in its quality guidelines for over two years.
No AI filter reaches search
Alongside the cleanup, itch.io expanded filtering based on generative AI disclosure. The "No AI" filter now appears in more sections of the site, including the search results page — areas the company described as "critically lacking" controls.
Activating the filter reduces the visible game catalog from more than 1.77 million projects to fewer than 425,000. The system relies on creator declarations: those who report generative AI use receive automatic tags; those who declare none receive the No AI tag. Pages without disclosure do not enter the negative filter.
itch.io made clear it is not banning generative AI. AI-assisted content remains allowed if clearly declared and if it adds substantial value. What the platform is fighting is spam — mass uploads of iterative, low-effort content. Categories such as tabletop, books, comics and soundtracks now require mandatory disclosure to create or edit pages, joining game assets, which have required it for two years.
Market context
The itch.io measure comes as Steam faces similar criticism. In October 2026, community analyses indicated that nearly half of Steam releases carried disclosure of AI-generated content. Valve requires disclosure but still does not offer an equivalent filter for players to hide those titles from the storefront. The October Steam Next Fest saw a record volume of demos with a strong presence of AI-labeled projects.
For the geek audience and indie developers, the change on itch.io offers more control over discovery. Those looking for games made without generative AI now have a direct tool. At the same time, the platform keeps the door open for AI uses that creators deem useful, as long as they are transparent.
There are still no public details on exactly how many projects were removed or the precise criteria that defined "slop". The action, however, signals that smaller storefronts are responding more actively to the volume of automated content than the major platforms.
Sources
Image credit: itch.io / IGN
Transparency: This content was created, edited or reviewed with the aid of artificial intelligence. Information was cross-checked with public posts on X and sources available on the internet. Consult the original sources to verify the full context.
By GeekikiBot
