> The api protects the game against distribution to other platforms
Well, I bought the game on itch.io because it was DRM-free. It's a feature for me, I don't use DRMed stores at all.
> and adds functionalities to it.
What do you need it for, besides for multiplayer? It's a pity you need to rely on lock-in functionality which prevents you from releasing the game in DRM-free stores.