Facepalm: Plainly wherever there’s battle on the earth, there can even be clips of video video games that folks declare are actual footage. As soon as once more, this type of propaganda includes outdated favorites Arma 3 and Struggle Thunder, with the Center East battle serving to improve the unfold.
Following Israel’s shock airstrikes on Iranian targets on June 13, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps posted a clip of what it claimed was the nation’s navy downing an Israeli jet fighter.
The clip initially appeared on IRGC-affiliated Tasnim Information Company, writes PC Gamer, earlier than it unfold throughout social media and messaging apps, usually with the caption, “we shot down an Israeli jet.”
BREAKING: Terror within the skies over Israel as Iranians fireplace at Israelie protection jets.#IsraeliranWar #Israel #Iran #battle #Tehran_the bombardment pic.twitter.com/k6TBxGUGsT
– Umpy (@PrayForOomfie) June 13, 2025
As you’ll be able to little doubt inform from the video, it isn’t actual. It comes from navy simulator Arma 3. The sport is thought for its nearly photorealistic graphics, and the clip has fooled loads of individuals. It is really proved so convincing that the Israel Protection Forces needed to difficulty an announcement to The Jerusalem Put up confirming that “The footage is pretend,” and “No Israeli plane have been downed.”
It is not simply Arma 3 getting used for these functions. One other video making the rounds, one which’s arguably extra convincing, claims to indicate a complicated Israeli F-35 fighter jet being intercepted and destroyed by the protection programs of the Islamic Republic of Iran Military.
The second when the superior Israeli hunt F-35 was intercepted and destroyed by the protection programs of the Islamic Republic of Iran; See video pic.twitter.com/V6H1dwAq8r
– Weblog Aldo Almeida (@blogogaldoalmeida) June 15, 2025
The clip is definitely from Struggle Thunder. It was made by a fan and posted to YouTube two weeks in the past. The outline partly reads: “Russia’s 9K33 Osa surface-to-air missile system locks onto and destroys an American F/A-18C fighter jet.”
There is a lengthy historical past of clips from video video games being handed off as actual footage. One which circulated in October 2022 supposedly displaying the Ukrainian navy placing Russian Military tanks additionally turned out to be Arma 3 footage. A part of the identical clip was utilized in a video from 2020 that claimed it was an American anti-aircraft weapon destroying an Iranian missile.
There was additionally a case in 2018 when Russian TV confirmed an Arma 3 clip that it claimed was precise footage from the Syrian battle (beneath).
It is not simply Arma 3. In 2019, a Pakistani politician was satisfied a clip from GTA V displaying a airplane touchdown and narrowly lacking an oil tanker on the runway was actual. He even praised the pilot’s “immense talent.”
Terrorist assault in Algeria, which fails to work due to the pilot’s immense talent pic.twitter.com/vnHXzjSULk
– Future Science (@OrgPhysics) July 9, 2019
Again in 2016, the Russian authorities tweeted a picture from Command & Conquer to warn of extremists in Syria, although it did add an “picture used for illustration functions solely” disclaimer. In 2017, nonetheless, the nation’s MOD mentioned a screengrab of a promotional video for cellular title AC-130 Gunship Simulator: Particular Ops Squadron was “irrefutable proof” of the US serving to ISIS. We have additionally seen CNN use Fallout 4 for instance Russian hacking actions.
. @mod_russia: Extremists close to Aleppo obtained a number of truckloads of chemical ammo. pic.twitter.com/scCEMXRvwH
– Russian Embassy, UK (@RussianEmbassy) Might 12, 2016
The scenario received so dangerous that in 2022, Arma 3 developer Bohemia Interactive posted a sequence of recommendations on easy methods to distinguish actual footage from Arma 3 gameplay clips:
Very low decision
Even dated smartphones have the power to offer movies in HD high quality. Faux movies are often of a lot decrease high quality, and are deliberately pixelated and blurry to cover the truth that they’re taken from a online game.
Shaky digital camera
So as to add dramatic impact, these movies are sometimes not captured in-game. Authors movie a pc display with the sport operating in low high quality and with an exaggerated digital camera shake.
Typically takes place at midnight / at night time
The footage is usually darkish to be able to disguise the online game scene’s inadequate degree of element.
Principally with out sound
In-game sound results are sometimes distinguishable from actuality.
Does not function individuals in movement
Whereas the sport can simulate the motion of navy automobiles comparatively realistically, capturing pure trying people in movement continues to be very tough, even for essentially the most trendy of video games.
Heads Up Show (HUD) components seen
Generally the sport’s consumer interfaces, corresponding to weapon choice, ammunition counters, car standing, in-game messages, and so forth. are seen. These generally seem on the edges or within the corners of the footage.
Unnatural particle results
Even essentially the most trendy video games have an issue with naturally depicting explosions, smoke, fireplace, and dirt, in addition to how they’re affected by environmental situations. Search for oddly separated cloudlets specifically.
Unrealistic automobiles, uniforms, tools
Individuals with superior navy tools information can acknowledge the usage of unrealistic navy belongings for a given battle. As an illustration, in a single broadly unfold pretend video, the US air protection system C-RAM shoots down a US A-10 floor assault airplane. Items also can show non-authentic insignias, camouflage, and so forth.
