The AnimeVesta Logo Scandal and the Team's Apology

The AnimeVesta team found itself at the centre of a scandal after it was revealed that their Dota 2 logo resembled the symbol of the "Stormtroopers" of the National Socialist German Workers' Party (NSDAP). This symbol is associated with Nazi Germany and its dark history, including the guarding of concentration camps and involvement in propaganda between 1939 and 1945.

Denis "sikle" Lerman, a community member, pointed out that such an occurrence at a tournament should be taken seriously:

"What, maybe they'll be checking new/unknown teams for such ##### [hats]? This kind of disgusting phenomenon isn't new in pubs, and moderation seems to be working, but here we have a tournament with thousands of viewers,"

Lerman remarked.

Additionally, one of the players of AnimeVesta was found to have the in-game nickname ALLAHU AKBAR, which also raised concerns about potentially provocative or inappropriate elements within the team. According to Liquipedia, all players and the coach of AnimeVesta are from Mongolia.

On December 11, 2024, the team drew with Secret at the MESA Invitational 2024 tournament, after previously losing to Talon. This added to the attention surrounding the situation, as the team became a topic of discussion not only because of their performance, but also due to the controversial logo.

In response to public outrage, AnimeVesta officially apologised for using the logo that resembled the NSDAP "Stormtroopers" symbol. The team explained that while searching for a suitable design, they did not recognise the association with this historical symbol. In their statement, they expressed deep regret and emphasised that this was an honest mistake that did not reflect their values.

"We, AnimeVesta, sincerely apologise for using a logo that unfortunately resembled a symbol historically associated with hatred and violence. We fully recognise the seriousness of this mistake and the harm it may have caused the competition and all those affected. We are deeply committed to the principles of inclusivity, respect, and unity and are firmly opposed to any form of discrimination or extremism."

— stated the team.

Once the issue was identified, the team took immediate action to remove the logo and began working on a new design that would align with the values of both their team and the competition. They expressed regret that their mistake could have affected the spirit of the competition and other participants, assuring that such an incident would not happen again in the future.

Additionally, analyst Degaz conducted an investigation, suggesting that the logo was likely created using artificial intelligence, which may have contributed to the misunderstanding.