Bungie has removed a Destiny 2 gauntlet that featured a “hate symbol” from the FPS, saying that the similarity pointed out by the game’s players was “not intentional.”
Though it has not been formally announced which item features the hate symbol, Reddit has concluded that its likely a legendary gauntlet named Road Complex AA1, which features lettering and coloring reminiscent of the “Kekistan flag.” The “Kekistan flag” is a symbol popularized on 4chan that intentionally mimics the Nazi flag, albeit with the image board’s familiar clovers and the Swastika replaced by a series of four Ks. The flavor text for the gauntlet reads: “An adventurer’s spirit is a tool so few possess. Own it. Enjoy it.”
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Though the flag has always been used to symbolize channer culture’s offensive brand of humor, over the past two years or so it’s been linked to the alt-right, a political group mostly consisting of white nationalists. As a result, Bungie has removed it from their sci-fi shooter, apologizing for any offense caused by its initial inclusion.
Posting on the developer’s official Twitter account, Bungie wrote: “It’s come to our attention that a gauntlet in Destiny 2 shares elements with a hate symbol. It is not intentional. We are removing it.
“Our deepest apologies. This does NOT represent our values, and we are working quickly to correct this. We renounce hate in all forms.”
Bungie CEO Pete Parsons later added to Bungie’s statement. He wrote: “At Bungie, our company values place the highest emphasis on inclusion of all people and respect for all who work with us or play our games.”
If the gauntlet is the item Bungie has removed from the game, it’s currently unclear if they plan to replace it in players’ inventories, or if it will disappear altogether. Though the gauntlet had yet to draw any complaints from the game’s players, it seems that its developers wanted to remove it as swiftly as possible before any controversy could arise.
