Fact Check

Is This an Authentic Video of 3 UFOs Spotted over New Mexico or Nevada?

Alleged UFO and alien videos are prevalent on social media.

Published Aug 2, 2023

 (Twitter user @DramaAlert)
Image Via Twitter user @DramaAlert
Claim:
A video that went viral in August 2023 authentically depicted three UFOs spotted either over New Mexico or Nevada.
Context

The video in question was captured in Digital Combat Simulator, a combat flight simulation video game.

In August 2023, a video went viral on social media allegedly depicting three UFOs spotted in New Mexico. Other social media users and websites claimed it showed UFOs "intercepted by F-22 Raptors over the Nevada desert."

The video in question was originally posted on TikTok by @iceman_fox1.

@iceman_fox1 BREAKING: Three UFO's are intercepted by USAF F-22 Raptors over the central Nevada desert. #ufo #uap #unidentified #aliens #nevada #extraterrestial #lasvegas #classified #congress #sightings #conspiracy #aliensighting #ufosighting #nellis #airforce #relaxitdcs #dcs #dcsworld #msfs2020 #flightsim #airforce #warbirds #avgeek #military #aviation #aviationdaily #virtualreality #vr #shorts #reels #edit #clouds #cinematic ♬ original sound - iceman_fox1

Its description read: 

BREAKING: Three UFO's are intercepted by USAF F-22 Raptors over the central Nevada desert.

#ufo #uap #unidentified #aliens #nevada #extraterrestial #lasvegas #classified #congress #sightings #conspiracy #aliensighting #ufosighting #nellis #airforce #relaxitdcs #dcs #dcsworld #msfs2020 #flightsim #airforce #warbirds #avgeek #military #aviation #aviationdaily #virtualreality #vr #shorts #reels #edit #clouds #cinematic

Filmed with Digital Combat Simulator

The viral video, as its author confirmed at the bottom of the TikTok video caption, was captured in a Digital Combat Simulator (DCS) video game — in other words, the UFO video wasn't real. Moreover, the TikTok biography of the user who posted the video stated the account published "Realistic DCS videos." 

(TikTok user @iceman_fox1)

The same footage was reposted on the @iceman_fox1 Instagram profile, with the same caption that read, "Filmed with Digital Combat Simulator." One social media user commented "Your videos are so real, that a guy who reports UFOs in Mexico is claiming this is 100% legit." The viral video was also published on @iceman_fox1 YouTube channel, but the description did not state that it was captured in a video game:

BREAKING: Three UFO's are intercepted by F-22 Raptors over the Nevada desert. #shorts #ufo #uap

We checked if the DCS game actually included UFO encounters, and various YouTube videos confirmed it.

Given that the viral video was captured in the Digital Combat Simulator video game, and no reputable media outlets reported on actual UFOs spotted either in New Mexico or Nevada, we have rated this claim as "Miscaptioned."

We have debunked various false rumors about UFOs in the past. For instance, in February 2023, we debunked video recorded by NASA that allegedly showed aliens flying two rectangular UFOs. In June 2023, we fact-checked a video supposedly showing an unidentified flying object in Kazakhstan.

Sources

Dcs World 2.5.6 - I Want To Believe - 4k 60Fps. www.youtube.com, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zo9GVjznemA. Accessed 2 Aug. 2023.

Digital Combat Simulator World. http://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/products/world/. Accessed 2 Aug. 2023.

Liles, Jordan. "Does NASA Video Show Aliens Flying 2 Rectangular UFOs?" Snopes, 22 Feb. 2023, https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/nasa-video-two-rectangular-ufos/.

The A-10 Warthog UFO Encounter | The Best Warthog Sim | Digital Combat Simulator | DCS |. www.youtube.com, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZbfMNM9TsY. Accessed 2 Aug. 2023.

Wrona, Aleksandra. "Does This Video Show a UFO in Kazakhstan?" Snopes, 20 June 2023, https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/ufo-in-kazakhstan/.

Aleksandra Wrona is a reporting fellow for Snopes, based in the Warsaw area.

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