Odaily Planet Daily reported that the official Dota 2 YouTube channel was briefly hacked on Wednesday and used to promote a Solana-based meme currency "dota 2 coin". The related live broadcast was confirmed to be fraudulent content.

The hijacked video is titled "Dota 2 Launch Official Meme Coin | Hurry Up" and includes a link to Pump.fun's token. The token currently has a market capitalization of approximately $5,500, having fallen approximately 21% since its launch at midnight on October 16th (Beijing time). On-chain data indicates that a single wallet controls over 98% of the coin's supply.

Reddit users first discovered and documented the hack on the r/DotA 2 forum, warning others not to click on the related links. Subsequently, the YouTube channel of PGL, the esports organization responsible for hosting official Dota 2 tournaments, was also compromised to broadcast a fake Bitcoin livestream impersonating MicroStrategy CEO Michael Saylor.

Reports indicate that the attack method is similar to several crypto scams targeting well-known YouTube channels since 2020. Attackers typically gain access to channels through phishing emails disguised as sponsorships from exchanges or brands, then conduct fake crypto livestreams and giveaway scams. (Decrypt)