GOG Issues Apology for Sending Emails Featuring Nazi Symbols

GOG recently faced backlash after a newsletter promoting the game The End of the Sun, sent on June 5th, featured symbols linked to the Nazi SS. The platform explained that this was due to a “series of mistakes,” which included miscommunication with their German QA team, inconsistent font rendering, and being short-staffed during a bank holiday.

The End of the Sun is a fantasy game inspired by Slavic mythology and culture. In the promotional email, GOG included Slavic runes, such as the Sowilō symbol, which represents “sun.” However, some devices rendered this rune as ϟ, leading to further complications.

Adding to the confusion, a verified GOG representative posted on Reddit acknowledging that placing two such runes together could evoke unfortunate associations with Nazi symbols. They noted that this issue was recognized before the newsletter was distributed, and out of respect for local sensitivities, the material was withheld from the German community. This has raised questions among users about why the newsletter was still sent to other regions and why the symbols were used in the first place.

The game’s developers also expressed their surprise, stating in a Reddit thread that they were unaware of why GOG included those symbols in the newsletter, and they were taken aback to see the old logo alongside the runes.