It's not like they have a real choice; they can either stay with the gamers and lose all possible income (and inevitably go bankrupt), or be forced to play by the rules.
However, placing the entire blame on itch.io is not right either; if someone is to blame, it's the payment companies and conservative groups.
As for what we are supposed to do, not much other than to complain about it.
Like over here: https://chng.it/vbgCC4Nsf8
first, I wasn't laying blame squarely on them. I was lumping them in with the feminist gang that did this AND the payment processors. All parties of this are equally guilty in my eyes. Itch cannot be trusted anymore.
Moreover, I speak as someone who has seen this happen over and over: CHANGE.ORG PETITIONS GO NOWHERE. This is not like SKG. Change.org has no teeth. Never ever has. I have never once, NOT ONCE seen change.org change anything. Until visa, mastercard, and all the parties involved are dragged kicking and screaming to the supreme court, all of this will continue.
What would you've done if you were in charge of itch.io? Take it to court?
I'm sure they would have very little chance of winning if that were the case.
If Valve, the one with the resources to put up a fight against it, is unwilling to do it, I don't think any other store page will. It's a lose-lose situation no matter how you look at it unless the law changes.
