Valve have accused Counter-Strike: Global Offensive team Syman Gaming of plagiarizing Immortals and GamersClub logo following their qualification to the Berlin Major.
Syman Gaming are an up-and-coming esports team that was formed for CS:GO in late 2017. The team’s breakthrough performance came on July 28 2019, as they were able to qualify for the StarLadder Berlin Major by taking second place in the CIS Minor.
The team released a statement on July 31, claiming that they have been asked by StarLadder and Valve to change their logo ahead of the Major, which starts on August 23.
“After we entered Major, SLTV contacted us regarding the request to change our logo, due to having elements that are similar to those used for the Immortals and GamersClub logos” said the Kazakhstani team.
The organization also seemed reluctant to change their logo, stating that “We believe that the plagiarism charges aren’t substantial, therefore we ask Valve to reconsider their decision.”
After we entered Major, SLTV contacted us regarding the request to change our logo, due to having elements that are similar to those used for the Immortals and GamersClub logos. We have been using this logo since October 2018, and the idea of the logo belongs to one of our fans. pic.twitter.com/zA0Ruuqwm7
— Syman Gaming (@symangg) July 31, 2019
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We believe that the plagiarism charges aren’t substantial, therefore we ask Valve to reconsider their decision. We agree to have an independent examination of our logos.
— Syman Gaming (@symangg) July 31, 2019
It seems that Syman Gaming are looking to fight against Valve’s claim and keep their logo, meanwhile, Immortals and GamersClub are yet to comment.
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The community, on the other hand, seem to agree that the logo is quite similar to the other teams’ logos, and think that now is a “perfect time to redo it” so it will stand out more once the in-game stickers are released.
With under a month until the Major, there is not much time for Syman Gaming to change their logo, but if they do decide to change, it will be the first time a CS:GO team has changed their logo due to pressure by Valve.