Fact check: Video of UFO being shot down is from a video game

Molly Stellino, USA TODAY
·2 min read
11

The claim: Video shows UFO getting shot down

A Feb. 13 Instagram video (direct link, archived link) shows a jet shooting a projectile at an aerial object. The projectile collides with the object, causing a flare of fire and smoke.

“UFO gets shot down,” reads the text in the video.

The video was liked nearly 2,000 times in less than two weeks.

The same claim also appeared on Twitter and Rumble.

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Our rating: False

The video shows footage from a video game called Digital Combat Simulator, according to a spokesperson for the company that makes the game.

Video shows video game, not UFO

The footage is from Digital Combat Simulator and "is not real life," said Scott Newnham, an associate producer at Eagle Dynamics, the company that makes the combat flight simulation game.

The video was posted to TikTok on Feb. 12, a day before the Instagram post misportrayed it. The TikTok’s caption reads, “F-22 Raptor vs Drone in DCS | Digital Combat Simulator.”

The TikTok account, which has more than 100,000 followers, has posted more than 60 videos of gameplay from Digital Combat Simulator in the last two months.The user also shares clips from the game on YouTube.

Fact check: False claim Biden asked Chinese president for permission to down spy balloon

The misrepresentation of video game footage comes after the Biden administration shot down a Chinese spy balloon and three unidentified flying objects the president said were “most likely” tied to private companies or research institutions.

How China's spy balloon isn't so unique for espionage technology
How China's spy balloon isn't so unique for espionage technology

The White House said there is “no indication of aliens or extraterrestrial activity” connected to the objects.

USA TODAY has debunked several claims consisting of video game clips that were misrepresented online. Users have claimed fictional footage shows soldiers destroying a Russian tank, the Ukrainian Air Force shooting down a Russian jet and the world’s largest plane crashing.

USA TODAY reached out to the social media users who shared the claim for comment. The Rumble user could not be reached.

AFP Fact Check and Check Your Fact also debunked the claim.

Our fact-check sources:

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fact check: Video of UFO being shot down is from a video game