In a note to developers, Itch.io founder Leaf Corcoran has confirmed that free adult content will be re-indexed on the platform, alongside a new content warning system. It follows the wholesale de-indexing of adult content on the indie game marketplace due to pressure applied by an anti-pornography lobby group on major credit card processors.
Since Itch.io is much smaller than Steam, and is a user-generated content platform where material can be published "with minimal barriers", Itch.io was forced to take a sledgehammer approach to content removal after it came under the scrutiny of its payment processors. Reindexing free material—which doesn't require payment processing—is the first step towards addressing a problem that was impossible for the platform to immediately fix with any nuance.
