11-year-old reportedly murdered after ‘Dota’ hack

Competitive multiplayer games such as Starcraft II and League of Legends are infamous for catalyzing rage and are sometimes even blamed for real-world disturbances. Unfortunately, it seems that news articles blaming violence on video games are set to continue.

In the Philippines, a 16-year-old is suspected of murdering an 11-year-old boy over the “hacking of an ‘online Dota account,'” according to a report from Games in Asia.

Defense of the Ancients (DotA) is a popular action rts (real-time strategy) mod for the Warcraft III series and has become a staple at esports tournaments. 

The body of the victim was reportedly found with 40 stab wounds in a construction site behind his home. The 16-year-old suspect, whose name will not be released due to his minor status, is denying any contact with the victim. However, he was purportedly found with “heavily blood-stained shorts” and “drops of blood leading up to his house.”

While it’s reported that police believe Dota was the cause of the crime, no concrete evidence connecting the murder to either the original game or the Valve-made sequel Dota 2 has been provided as of yet.