Fake accounts spreading misinformation on Twitter have been a massive issue in the past decade. The popular social media platform has taken measures to stamp it out, but the issue remains and has only grown into a bubbling problem after Elon Musk introduced verification via Twitter Blue. It’s not just public health and politics being affected, either.
The pro Dota 2 scene—or rather, those who cover news about it, such as all the roster changes in the offseason, have fallen victim to the misinformation plague, too.
It happened as recently as Nov. 23, when a fake account pretending to be Wolf Team, the Brazilian Dota 2 organization founded in Dec. 2021, tricked people into thinking the team had disbanded.
“Today, we are announcing our farewell to the competitive Dota 2 scene,” they said. “We appreciate all the support from the community and wish the best of luck to hFn, 4dr, Tavo, Kingrd, and KJ.”
Not only did Liquipedia fall for it (although they’ve since rectified the issue), but so did BTSBrazil. They shared the tweet as if it was official news, and to be fair, looked like it was. Still, the fact people fell for it had the Brazilian Dota 2 community in stitches.
The account that posted it is reportedly a well-known troll account. The bio says “99 percent of the things it posts are irony, while the remaining one percent could be true.”
And so, despite tweets to the contrary, the Wolf Team roster is still intact. They’re one of many teams preparing for the upcoming Dota Pro Circuit 2022-2023 season, which kicks off in December—along with the roster lock.
And with more rosters still needing confirmation, troll accounts spreading misinformation will likely claim more victims as rumors, speculation, and hype reach tipping point.
Published: Nov 23, 2022 11:19 pm