Fake News

Not to be confused with the Cure Mode initiative

"From wild conspiracy theories to election campaign mudslinging, we now live in a post-fact world where falsehoods and misinformation can spread just like a disease. In this radically different scenario, you'll create your very own Fake News Story and shape it using all the modern tools and psychological tricks at your disposal. Can you deceive the world? Created with the help of professional Fact Checking organisations Full Fact (UK) and Politifact (USA)" — Plague Inc., Fake News introduction paragraph

Fake News is an Official Scenario added to Plague Inc. and Plague Inc: Evolved in the Mutation 1.17 update, announced on the official website's news.

Scenario Attributes

The Fake News manifests as Bacteria with costs no longer escalating per purchased trait nor with Mega-Brutal settings. Natural disasters and transport shutdowns are disabled.

To begin its spread, one has to create its Manifesto, by specifying a topic, a starting party, a motivation and a blamed party, all of which are free and have different effects on Virality and Plausibility. Only 1 of each per category may be chosen, while the starting party and blamed party cannot be identical.

After the nature of the Fake News, the growth phase begins as people are made aware of the Fake News. Those who are not deceived become informed instead, and even those who are deceived will eventually become informed. Eventually, the Fake News will attract authorities and they will work on disproving it, acting as this Scenarios' Cure.

If over half of the world is deceived, the Fake News begins to indiscriminately spread into every country and secures a victory. If over half of the world has been informed, however, the truth will prevail and the game ends in a defeat.

Virality

Working similar to its original counterpart, Virality directly relates to the spread velocity of the Fake News.

Plausibility

A critical victory condition, Plausibility determines how likely would people be deceived instead of being informed.

Community

A secondary stat that must be maintained at high levels to ensure victory. Community is inversely proportional to the possibility of deceived people becoming informed.

Trivia

Achievements

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Loch Ness Monster • Independence Day • District 9 • Making 'heat' waves • Too cute to lie • On the fence • Hack Job

• This is one of the few cases where the player doesn't have to necessarily infect everyone in the world for a victory, as it only requires 50%+ of the entire population deceived.
  • Due to this, Fake News is so far the only scenario where Cure Progress can actually regress as the disease ravages the world without the influence of individual traits.
• The first line in the scenario image is "Sadness is a result of chemicals in the water."
• The second line in the image is "Social Media now only way to vote in Election."
• The third line in the image is "Vaccines are probably a bit rubbish." This refers to the modern notion of anti-vaxxers.

Gallery

Various art concepts regarding the icon of this scenario

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Tips

For strategies how to beat this scenario, check out the Strategy Guides/Fake News section.

Achievements

	Achievement Name:		We Love Fact Checkers
	Achievement Description:		Get Fact Checked
	Value:	1 pts	Difficulty:	Any

	Achievement Name:		Filter Bubble
	Achievement Description:		Beat the Fake News Scenario on Normal
	Value:		Difficulty:	Normal