GOG Apologizes After Nazi-Linked Symbols Appear in Newsletter Subject Line

GOG has issued an apology after a promotional newsletter sent to some of its subscribers included several Nazi-linked symbols in its subject line.

The email, titled "Slavic adventure," was intended to promote The End of the Sun, a narrative adventure game inspired by Slavic mythology. However, the subject line featured a sequence of symbols that included imagery closely associated with Nazi Germany and modern white-supremacist movements.

GOG stopped the newsletter rollout after noticing the issue, although the company said that approx. half of its mailing list had already received the email.

GOG Says a ‘Series of Mistakes’ Led to the Newsletter

In a statement posted on X, GOG apologized for the email and said that several errors contributed to the situation.

"We made a series mistakes," the retailer said. GOG attributed the issue to the incorrect placement of runes, the use of the wrong logo for The End of the Sun, a failure to check how the newsletter appeared on mobile devices, and feedback from its German quality-assurance team not being carried over to the other language versions of the email.

The mobile version made the subject line particularly noticeable. The symbols appeared directly besides the "Slavic adventure" title in recipients inboxes.

The Explanation Leaves an Obvious Question Unanswered

GOG’s statement explains how the newsletter passed through its review process, but it does not fully clarify why the symbols were selected in the first place.

The company described the result as an “unfortunate visual association” caused by the placement of the runes. However, the issue is not simply that the symbols appeared in an awkward sequence. Some of the imagery used in the email has a clear and widely recognised association with Nazism and extremist groups.

Even where individual symbols have historical origins that predate Nazi Germany, their modern usage and context make their inclusion in a promotional email difficult to dismiss as a minor formatting oversight.

GOG Is Revising Its Newsletter Review Process

GOG said it stopped sending the newsletter as soon as the mistake was identified. The company is now revising its internal review process to introduce additional checks and catch similar problems earlier.

The retailer has not provided further details on how the updated process will work or whether the campaign was created internally or with the involvement of an external marketing team.

FAQ

Why did GOG apologize for its newsletter?

GOG apologized because a promotional newsletter titled “Slavic adventure” included several Nazi-linked symbols in its subject line.

What game was the GOG newsletter promoting?

The email was promoting The End of the Sun, a narrative adventure game inspired by Slavic mythology.

What changes is GOG making after the newsletter mistake?

GOG said it is revising its review process to introduce additional checks and identify similar errors before future newsletters are sent.

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