Destiny 2 creators insist any in-game references to Nazis and Hitler are ‘completely unintentional’
Bungie have issues an apology for antisemitic reference found in Destiny 2 (Bungie)
Bungie, the game developers behind Destiny 2, have found themselves in hot water following accusations of antisemitism in a new challenge.
Featured as a weekly challenge in Bungie’s popular multiplayer first-person shooter, the phrase “Blood and Honor” appears in-game only once, with the words flashing briefly across the bottom of the screen.
Noticeable once the player finishes the challenge by completing eight War Table bounties in a single week, the phrase – which has been seen in other fantasy media – translates to “Blut und Ehre”, one of the Nazi slogans used by the Hitler Youth.
Bungie Entertainment
Tweeted by Destiny 2 fan Mardin of Chatzuk, he called out Bungie for using the Nazi slogan asking that they reconsider and rename the title.
Similarly, I hope @Bungie considers choosing a different name for the Battleground: Cleansing activity in the Cosmodrome. That word is at best a questionable choice in a vacuum, but it is especially inappropriate along with the other antisemitic terms and tropes in this release. pic.twitter.com/7iRWRvyBeU
— A Screaming Skull (@screaming_skvll) February 16, 2021
A statement made by a representative for Bungie tells Kotaku that any references to the “blood and honor” Hitler Youth slogan or other antisemitic references were accidental.
“Any connection to antisemitism in Destiny 2 is completely unintentional,” a spokesperson said.
“Bungie is emphatically committed to inclusion and human rights, and will never stand for antisemitism. We are already preparing fixes in an upcoming patch. We apologise to all of our players that were hurt by the references, and we are grateful to our community for bringing their concerns to our attention.
But this is not the first time “Blood and Honor” has been used in fictional entertainment. The phrase has appeared in World of Warcraft, Star Wars novelisations and, most recently, in the 2011 action blockbuster X-Men: First Class, which saw iconic character Magneto reference “Blut und Ehre” before killing two Nazis.
Destiny 2‘s new season Season of the Chosen launched back on 9 February, which ends on 11 May was met with many positive reviews after its release.
Destiny 2: Season of the Chosen is free-to-play on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and S, PC, and Stadia.
