Dota is one of the most popular games in esports history， played by millions of people around the world. It has a rich and vibrant history， with many iconic moments and players that have captured the hearts of fans. However， alongside all the good times， there have been some dark moments in Dota's history that have tarnished the reputation of the game and its community. These are the black marks that we will be exploring in this article.
Aleksey "Solo" Berezin is a Dota player from Russia who was once considered one of the best supports in the game. However， he also has a reputation for being one of the most toxic players ever to grace the scene. In 2013， during a game in a major tournament， Solo caused a scandal by intentionally feeding the other team. This means that he deliberately allowed himself to be killed by the other team， costing his own team the game. He did this as a way of expressing his frustration with his team's performance. It was a shocking display of unsportsmanlike conduct and caused him to be banned from competitive play for a time.
In 2016， one of the biggest scandals in Dota's history broke when it was revealed that several players had been involved in match fixing. The players， who were from the Southeast Asian region， had conspired to throw matches in order to make money through betting. This was a huge blow to the integrity of the game， and the players involved were banned from competitive play for life. It was a stark reminder of the corrupting influence of gambling on esports.
The Dota 2 Asia Championships (DAC) 2015 is one of the biggest tournaments in the game's history， with a prize pool of over $3 million. However， the event was marred by controversy when it was revealed that a member of one of the teams had used a cheat program during a match. This gave his team an unfair advantage and led to their eventual disqualification from the tournament. It was a black mark on an otherwise great tournament and led to increased scrutiny of players and their adherence to fair play.
Dota has a reputation for having one of the most toxic communities in all of esports. This is due to the high-stress nature of the game and the fact that players are often matched with random strangers online， which can lead to conflict and abuse. There have been many cases of players hurling insults， using racist language， or even sending death threats to other players. This is a dark side of the game that has yet to be fully addressed， and it can be a major turnoff for new players who are looking to get into the scene.
Another black mark on Dota's history is its lack of diversity. Although the game is played by people from all walks of life， the professional scene is still overwhelmingly male and Asian. This has led to criticism from many quarters that the game is not doing enough to promote diversity and inclusivity. There have been several initiatives to address this， such as the Women's Dota 2 League， but there is still a long way to go before the scene truly reflects the diversity of the player base.
Despite these dark moments in Dota's history， the game and its community continue to thrive. There are many talented players and devoted fans who love the game and who are working to make it a better place. However， we must also acknowledge the black marks and work to address them if Dota is to reach its full potential as a truly great esport.