While PlayStation 5 fans have plenty to play due to the platform’s strong launch lineup and backwards compatibility, some players have already started to look toward what the future holds. For most, that means getting hyped about officially announced games like Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart, Horizon Forbidden West, and the God of War Ragnarok sequel. However, some fans have been getting hyped about projects that do not even exist, like a PS5 Uncharted game or The Last of Us 2 DLC.
This unwarranted excitement is due to a series of fake trailers appearing online, and so far, it seems like there will only be more to come. The PlayStation 5 trailer trolling all stems from one channel, with the creator of the teasers uploading to the page at random. Unfortunately, the trailers are well-made, and their creator has done all that they possibly can to mimic the style of PlayStation’s YouTube channel. If that was not enough, the fake YouTube account’s name and branding share that of the official channel, making the troll job even better. Still, there are a few tricks fan can use to tell these trailers apart, saving them the disappointment of finding out they have been fooled.
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So far, three phony PlayStation trailers have been released thus far, with the first coming last year and centering on a new Uncharted game. A full-on teaser trailer, this video shows the franchise’s logo appearing alongside a date which has already been passed up. The simplest of the trailers so far and the least effective, the Uncharted teaser shows the person behind the trolls working on their deception techniques. Fortunately, most fans were not fooled by this first attempt, as the video’s like and dislike ratio show many fans catching on to the teaser being illegitimate.
However, the second trailer is what made this channel troubling, as fans have very much been fooled by The Last of Us Homecoming. A fake DLC trailer that details a made-up expansion for The Last of Us 2 that would apparently on Joel’s life in the 20 years before Ellie, the Homecoming trailer was successful. Mixing in clips from the first game and the second game’s reveal trailer, as well as a voiceover from Joel, the mockup works well enough as the real deal — with only huge fans able to spot its illegitimacy. As such, the trailer boasts a startling 34,000 likes and 4,000 dislikes, with most of the comments section failing to catch on.
Finally, the God of War: Definitive Edition trailer arrived last week, showcasing a version of the game that boasts “stunning graphics” and “4K gameplay targeting 60 FPS.” Using an old CGI trailer as well as logos for PlayStation and developer Santa Monica, this is another solid troll job. A well-made mockup of a logo for this fake game combines with strong editing to create another scenario where fans have been tricked, as the like and dislike ratio are similar to that of The Last of Us: Homecoming. While the top comment acknowledging the trailer is fake is a step in the right direction, it seems like many PlayStation fans are still being deceived by the fake channel.
With the trailers for both The Last of Us: Homecoming and God of War: Definitive Edition doing incredibly well, and YouTube seemingly having no interest in removing the channel, more trailers are likely to come soon. As for what these could be, fans should expect games that has been heavily rumored to make appearances on this troll channel, as this pattern can be seen clearly based on what has been shown thus far. When rumors of Uncharted PS5 began to circulate last year, the trailer poster delivered a fake, and the same has happened following recent discussion of God of War remasters.
As such, rumored but unannounced titles like Ghost of Tsushima 2 could get fake trailers, as could games fans have wanted for some time. PlayStation All Stars 2 could get a trailer, as could some old franchises starring PlayStation mascots. A “new” Jak and Daxter game could be shown, as could something related to Sly Cooper. Infamous is also on the table, with such a teaser fitting perfectly into this channel’s wheelhouse — as the lightning strike from Infamous 2 could be shown alongside a logo for Infamous 3. Other franchises are certainly on the table, though these would be some of the “easiest” to fake.
Still, with the editor behind this troll channel boasting some decent editing skills, it could only be a matter of time before they are creating fake trailers for known projects like Horizon Forbidden West. Considering that the official PlayStation channel also uploads teasers and trailers for third party games, the same could happen with this fake channel, giving its creator even more ways to break the hearts of fans. While there is a pattern now, it could soon be harder to detect. However, there are a few other ways fans can easily spot the troll’s work.
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Though the fake channel disguises itself by using the same PlayStation logo and name, making it hard to notice a made-up trailer inside any YouTube feeds, the troll job becomes apparent once a video is clicked. Whether a trailer is for The Last of Us, God of War, or something else, fans should immediately check the subscriber count of the channel the video comes from. While the official PlayStation channel boasts nearly 13 million subscribers, this info is hidden on the fake channel, a dead giveaway that the trailer is not the real deal.
Other signs include release dates, as while they add to the effectiveness of a fake when it first appears, they can also show its age and be a dead giveaway of a fake. Much like with the fake trailer for an Uncharted sequel, where the date already passed and no such game released, players can use this as proof against the trailer’s legitimacy if it is a bit older. Next, looking at the video descriptions can help. While the troll does a fine job mimicking the title format, his descriptions are lacking, with the description for the fake DLCs or games often being on the shorter side and lacking Sony’s professional approach.
Players can also check the channel description to spot the fake, as the use of “fan” before official is another dead giveaway. The lack of uploaded trailers is also a sign, as the real PlayStation’s channel has thousands of videos to scroll through as opposed to the fake channel’s three. Finally, and most importantly, fans should always have the mindset that if it is too good to be true, it usually is. Huge announcements like another Uncharted game would certainly take place on-stage or during a PlayStation State of Play stream, and at the very least would be shown on social media. By simply checking the PlayStation Twitter page, players can instantly confirm whether a huge trailer or reveal is the real deal.
While the troll has done an impressive job, their work can be spotted easily by those who pay attention, and fans only need to make use of one of these tricks to avoid fake PS5 trailers.
The PlayStation 5 is available now.
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