CNN Used Footage From Fallout 4 in a Video About Russian Hacking

In Russia, Fallout 4 hacks you.

Users on Reddit discovered that a recent CNN report on Russian hacking used footage from Bethesda’s popular open world RPG Fallout 4. The footage was used in a story documenting former US President Barack Obama’s decision to expel Russian diplomats from the country over hacking allegations.

In Fallout 4, players are able to hack computers to access information they can use for unlocking safes or doors. It appears CNN used the footage in an attempt to emphasise the gravity of the situation, which was described as ‘an unprecedented cyberattack on the US election system’ by Russia. An audio segment from President Trump, who denies Moscow’s involvement in the hacking, follows shortly after the claim where he responded to the allegations:

“I think we ought to get on with our lives. I think that computers have complicated lives very greatly. The whole age of computer has made it where nobody knows exactly what’s going on.”

Bethesda’s response to the incident was to post a tweet using a Fallout 4 screenshot as a teaser for American thriller series Mr. Robot, which stars cybersecurity hacker Elliot Alderson.