GOG apologises for newsletter error displaying Nazi-associated symbols
The company issued a statement after a promotional email for *The End of the Sun* inadvertently included characters resembling the Schutzstaffel insignia, raising questions about distribution protocols and developer awareness.
GOG has issued an apology following the distribution of a promotional newsletter for the fantasy title *The End of the Sun* that contained symbols resembling the double S insignia associated with the Nazi Schutzstaffel. The digital distribution platform, which competes directly with Steam, confirmed the error occurred in an email sent on June 5 regarding the game, which is set in a universe inspired by Slavic mythology and culture.
In a statement attributed to the company, GOG described the incident as the result of a "series of mistakes." The explanation cited miscommunication with its German quality assurance team, inconsistent font rendering across different devices, and operational constraints due to being understaffed during a bank holiday. The newsletter originally intended to feature the Slavic Sowilō rune, representing the "sun," which some platforms rendered as the character ϟ.
A verified GOG representative addressed the issue on Reddit, acknowledging that placing two such runes side by side could create an unfortunate association with Nazi symbols. The representative stated that the issue was identified prior to distribution and that the material was withheld from the German community out of respect for local sensitivities. However, this admission has prompted scrutiny regarding why the email was distributed to other regions where such restrictions may not apply.
The developers of *The End of the Sun* expressed confusion regarding the incident, noting they were unaware that GOG had utilised these specific symbols in its marketing materials. In a Reddit thread, the development team stated they were "totally surprised" to see the logo and symbols appear next to the newsletter title, indicating a disconnect between the publisher’s marketing team and the game’s creators.
Questions remain regarding the technical mechanisms that allowed the rune to transform into a symbol resembling the SS sigil across various email clients and mobile devices. The extent of the distribution and the specific number of recipients affected has not been specified, leaving the full scope of the error unclear despite the company’s detailed explanation of the internal failures involved.
