Until the early 2020, video games Weapon 3 It was considered a niche game that allowed millions of players to evolve in a tactical and realistic game alone or with others. But, with the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, in March 2022, the title developed by Bohemia Interactive was a victim of its very advanced realism, to the point that it is widely used for propaganda purposes and to distribute false information.
It was at this time that the study alerted the players of the problem: “At that time, the phenomenon, the people who use Weapon 3 To create false and viral combat videos, it had become too big, “said Tech & Co Pavel.
The last example is particularly recent. In the spring of 2025, while Cashmere was in the heart of a conflict between India and Pakistan, the latter revealed a video that showed alleged shots against Indian combat planes.
Problem: The sequence is completely false and comes from video games Weapon 3.
Close cooperation with the means to combat misinformation
When you ask Pavel Křižka, which makes his game the most used for the transmission of false viral videos, his answer is quite simple: “The weapon games are particularly open to the modification (which allows you to modify the files, note of the editor). These are open military games that allow players to change their experience according to their wishes.”
Since its launch in 2013, Weapon 3 Tens of thousands of modifications. They include letters, vehicles, uniforms, weapons and equipment, some of which are inspired or take the official elements of certain armies. Then, players have fun recreating very real conflicts, and some governments take advantage of the movement.
A movement that was “impossible to predict” for Bohemia Interactive: “The best we can do with these viral videos is to cooperate closely with the main information verification organizations and the media.”
To do this, the study specifies to be in “regular” contact with Reuters and AFP press agencies, but also with the BBC, the New York Times, TF1 for France or the news of Verge and CBS. In the Rolling Stones in October 2023, Bohemia said he was “discouraged” to see the work of his developers used by “sick people who deliberately disseminate false information.”
Because, in the face of this madness by the creators of this viral content, the study is helpless: “The media and specialized organizations in the fight against false information have a much better surprising power and have effective tools,” explains the representative of Bohemia Interactive.
When asked about the possible sanctions against players who use weapon 3 to create this content, Bohemia explains that when possible, sanctions can be taken, while wishing to make a difference: “we would like to clarify that people who deliberately transmit false information (through the game) rarely are weapon players.” The study explains that most of the contents that were used in this way were “stolen and edited”, while the original video had been put online “without any malicious intention.”
Mods in the heart of the weapon experience
With Tech & Co, the study refutes the idea thatWeapon 3 It would simply be “too” realistic “: with the modifications, the game can be as realistic as the players want, but there are already much more realistic simulations available. I would say (Weapon 3) is quite immersive, “explains Pavel Křižka.
Especially because it is these precise data that make the success of the entire franchise, which was born in 2001 under the name Flash point operation. Since then, Bohemia Interactive has seen its players base evolve, and notably offered Weapon Reforger In 2022, with versions of the console: “It is the first game to use our new technology, Engine Focumum, and that we have rebuilt zero.” Therefore, this version has sold more than 2 million copies worldwide.
Bohemia Interactive also works on the development ofWeapon 4. Scheduled for 2027, this suite is “in full development”: “Each of us is very excited to show what they work on.”
If the study explains that he cannot say much at this stage, he intends to find a way to combat false information contaminating his franchise. You hope that creators of this type of video will end up favoring other tools instead ofWeapon: “Meanwhile, we will be in contact with verification organizations and continue educating our community and the general public.”
Source: BFM TV
