I appreciate your perspective, and I actually agree with the core sentiment: Itch's identity as a hub for raw experimentation and niche games was invaluable. Sadly "was", not "is", because there is a fundamental detail being overlooked here: having a free platform only matters if people can actually find your experiments.
Right now, the absence of any barrier isn't preserving "the soul of Itch", it has essentially destroyed it. When a solo dev uploads a unique, highly creative experimental game, it gets pushed off the main page in minutes by dozens of automated, uncurated AI or low-effort slop uploads. In that environment, the freedom to upload for free becomes an illusion because the audience practically never sees it anyway.
Furthermore, a deposit system wouldn't have to block raw experimentation at all, because direct-link uploads, Game Jams, private playtests, and personal portfolio pages could remain 100% free. The $100 deposit would only apply if a developer requests public store indexing and front-page catalog discoverability. That way, the platform could keep its core identity as a completely open sandbox for jams, student projects, and experiments, while protecting its public catalog from becoming an unnavigable dump.
Doing nothing isn't protecting the indie scene, it's letting noise swallow the very developers who make this platform great.